Latest update: 23/03/2011 

- finance - India - suicide


Microcredit - a good idea gone bad

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"Microcredit", a new form of financing aimed at getting the poor out of poverty, is being blamed for a spate of suicides in India. Many borrowers say lenders have forgotten the good intentions that were behind the microfinance concept. Instead of helping them to set themselves up with a small businesses, lenders are increasingly harassing them to pay the money back - and in many cases, leading to tragic consequences.

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Programme prepared by Kate Williams, Marie Billon and Patrick Lovett

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