Voices from the Field

In this FIELDcast, Harish Hande, Managing Director of the Solar Electric Company (SELCO) India discusses the growth of the company, challenges to expanding access to renewable energy in rural India and lessons learned through strategic partnerships with microfinance institutions. Harish has spent more than 10 years working with SELCO to provide India's rural poor with appropriate, affordable energy solutions.

In this Voice from the Field, William Bonilla shares the experience of the World Council of Credit Unions (WOCCU) as they develop credit and savings products to market to remittance recipients in Guatemala. William discusses the findings of the market assessment and product design phases of this project and lays out the next steps towards a full rollout of the products.

This Voice from the Field highlights the work of Brian Beard and the IRIS Center at the University of Maryland. Brian discusses the development of the new USAID Poverty Assessment Tools, the training process, and the potential for the tools to be used to advance social performance measurement initiatives. For background on the Poverty Assessment Tools, a list of currently available tools, and clarification on who is required to implement them, visit www.povertytools.org.