In this blog, we want to explore the effectiveness to use the PPI score as a wealth level proxy in a straightforward manner, based on the recent financial and energy diaries Uganda (FEDU) that L-IFT completed in April 2017. For a series of findings and more information about the FEDU, please see the link posted […]
What is the Opposite of “Smooth”?
When I look up the word “smooth” the Merriam –Webster dictionary tells me: But those familiar with financial diaries know smooth’s opposites best: lumpy, rocky, spiked, uneven, rough. That’s what low-income people’s finances are, decidedly “unsmooth”. Way back in 1997 I arrived in Vietnam to support the Women’s Union of Quang Binh Province to set […]
Students’ Inputs on Mobile Money
In the former blog, we looked at the downsides of students’ experiences with the current dominant money system in use, i.e. banks and ATMs. It clearly came out that they are in need of a system that makes their lives easier. The willingness from their side to try out new concepts is given, as long […]
Students’ Money Struggles
Digital Money is an unknown concept for students in Ethiopia. We have conducted several interviews with students from different regions. All of our respondents, except one, do not use digital money, and nor do they know what it means. Although they might have picked up some information, the concept was never explained to them in […]
What Women Want
“On virtually every global measure, women are more economically excluded than men”, discloses the World Bank’s Gender at Work report 2014, even though growth in many emerging markets is heavily dependent on women. [1] Female entrepreneurs face great challenges when it comes to access to financial services. What Women Want, 3W, is the name of L-IFT’s new […]
The Need for a More Reliable System
Having access to quality financial services is the most fundamental factor for users to obtain smooth transactions throughout their daily lives. By extending the availability of reliable digital services, those not having access to financial services could be encouraged to join and those who already have access would continue to be loyal satisfied customers. Offering […]
My Experience With the Finance and Energy Diaries Project
My journey as a research intern at L-IFT during the Finance and Energy Diaries Project (FEDU) has been fabulous, coloured with numerous learning experiences and I am thrilled at how much I have developed during this time. During my internship, I worked with FEDU majorly in the eastern districts of Mbale, Tororo and Manafa. There was […]
Introducing the L-IFT Field Researchers Alumni Network
The FEDU project brought together individuals from different parts of Uganda, individuals with a broad spectrum of backgrounds. This mix of cultures, interests, and knowledge has created a wealth of both social and professional bonds. One of the most important questions for most, after almost a year of working with the Finance and Energy Diaries […]
Field Researchers Training
Between 06th April and 10th April, L-IFT held a training for its field researchers in Jinja (Uganda). The training marked the conclusion of over 6 months of data collection for the Financial and Energy Diaries Research. It was organized to equip the field researchers with the knowledge and skills they would need for the endline study and […]
Field Reflections: Bi-weekly Meetings
Bi-weekly meetings, which brought together all the field researchers in each area, were an integral part of the Financial and Energy Diaries Project. Under the stewardship of the team supervisor, these meetings were aimed at evaluating the progress of the preceding bi-weekly, resolving any challenges that might have been experienced, and preparing for the next […]