Where we work

South Asia

East and Southeast Asia
• China
◦ FPC
    ◦ Chifeng Zhaowuda
    ◦ ARDPAS
    ◦ Ying's story
• East Timor
• Indonesia
• The Philippines

Latin America / Caribbean

Middle East / North Africa

Sub-Saharan Africa

United States

Grameen Foundation : Where we work : East and Southeast Asia : China

China

Support our Work in China. Donate TodayMicrofinance has grown slowly in China due to a lack of a clear legal framework. Yet the momentum for change is growing. In 2005, the People’s Bank of China initiated a pilot program in six provinces to establish commercialized microfinance companies, laying the groundwork for a legislative base.

The Need in China

• 16.6 percent of the population (220 million people) lives on less than $1 a day.
• Although the income of urban residents has been increasing, the growth rate in farmers’ income dropped from 9 percent in 1996 to 1.9 percent in 2000.

Grameen Foundation began supporting the Chinese microfinance sector in 2000. Our goal is to help create a vibrant Chinese microfinance sector that supports poverty alleviation programs by bridging the rural-urban, East-West poverty gap so prevalent in China today. We also strive for a flourishing microfinance sector where the global community can access and learn from the successes and failures of microfinance in China so that they can make an impact on poverty in their own countries. Grameen Foundation’s strategy in China is two-fold: to increase the outreach of MFIs and to foster support of the industry.

• In 2002, with support from Citigroup and Grameen Foundation, the Grameen Trust disbursed $800,000 of loan capital among 10 programs throughout China, and provided training and capacity-building assistance.
• In 2003, Grameen Foundation, in partnership with the Grameen Trust, organized the first Chinese Microfinance Summit at which a paper was presented recommending a pathway toward regulatory reform.
• In 2004, we created the China Advisory Committee, tasked with leading our strategy in China.
• Grameen Foundation encouraged the development of China’s first national network for microfinance and sits on the international advisory board of the Chinese Association of Microfinance.
• In 2006, we launched a new strategy to engage several of the most successful MFIs to take advantage of the changing regulatory environment. These MFIs will serve as role models to the industry in China.

Grameen Foundation president Alex Counts talks about our work in China CSR Magazine

Our partner microfinance institutions in China: FPC, Chifeng Zhaowuda, and ARDPAS.

China success story: Mrs. Du Ying

China volunteers: Read the stories of Mae-Ling and Alan Tien and Susan Place Everheart to learn about our China volunteers and how you can help.

Support China: Donate now to support our activities in China.

Learn more: Read the latest issue of the China Volunteer Network e-newsletter.

Grameen Foundation : Where we work : East and Southeast Asia : China