This book draws together a set of topical writings on the subject of microcredit that will be of relevance to the work of both researchers and practitioners in the field. In drawing on the experiences of authors from countries and regions throughout the globe, including Cambodia, Barbados and the Caribbean, Mexico, Pakistan, India and Africa, the book examines the subject of microcredit from various perspectives.

1. Success Factors of Microfinance: What Can We Learn for International Development? Farhad Hossain, Christopher Rees and Tonya Knight-Millar 2. A Short History of the Grameen Bank: From Subsidized Microcredit to Market Based Microfinance David Hulme 3. Microcredit as a Socio-Political Institution in South Africa: The Complexity of Rules, Logic and Power Relations Johanna Hietalahti and Anja Nygren 4. Giving People Choice: The Role of Traditional Religious Associations in Providing Credit to the Rural Population in Cambodia Arnaldo Pellini and David Ayres 5. The Global Economic Recession: The Newest Challenge to the Caribbean Microfinance Sector Tonya Knight-Millar and Farhad Hossain 6. The Role of Microfinance Practices in Motivating Young Rural Entrepreneurs in Mexico Fabiola López, Christopher J Rees and Paul Barry 7. Is Microfinance Reaching the Poorest? An Investigation into Programme Outreach across Rural Punjab in Pakistan Asad Ghalib 8. Impact of Microfinance: Evidence from India Anurag Priyadarshee, Thankom G Arun and Farhad Hossain 9. Can Microcredit Services Alleviate Hardship in African Small-Scale Mining Communities? Abigail Ackah-Baidoo and Gavin Hilson 10. Microcredit in the Past, Present and Future: Challenges and Opportunities Farhad Hossain, Christopher J. Rees and Tonya Knight-Millar