Microfinance is a general term to describe financial services to low-income individuals or to those who do not have access to typical banking services.

Microfinance is also the idea that low-income individuals are capable of lifting themselves out of poverty if given access to financial services.

While many studies indicate that microfinance can play a role in the battle against poverty, it is also recognized that it should never be seen as the only tool for ending poverty.

Here is a short video about how microfinance works:

For a comprehensive discussion of microfinance, its history and related statistics, visit Kiva.org’s microfinance page.

This page is provided in English, but you can use Google Translate for computer translation.