Development in Practice
Volume 24, Issue 1, 2014
http://www.tandfonline.com/toc/cdip20/current

Transforming the social capital of the urban poor: Lessons from Kisumu, Kenya
DOI: 10.1080/09614524.2014.867306
Caroline Cage*
pages 3-17
Abstract
Large-scale organisations of the urban poor (OUP) are needed for greater influence in urban governance. However, where contexts are non-enabling for large-scale organisations to develop, external support may be needed. Past NGO support for building social capital has been heavily criticised for failing to address its darker side, while new forms of OUP supported by urban poor federations have been cited as more inclusive, representative organisations. This study compares NGO- and slum-dwellers’ federation-supported OUPs in Kisumu, Kenya, and finds evidence that development partners should seek to scale-up existing social capital while ensuring that networks formed are transformative for marginalised identities.

Global financial crisis and women’s micro-lending innovations in Pakistan and Malawi
DOI: 10.1080/09614524.2014.867927
Tahmina Rashid & Jonathan Makuwira*
pages 39-50
Abstract
Microcredit/finance as a tool to eradicate poverty and empower women in developing countries has been a darling of developed countries. The success stories from microcredit borrowers from Bangladesh, India, and Africa, and global endorsement of microcredit programmes have largely ignored local indigenous initiatives managed by groups of women in rural and urban areas. Evidence from fieldwork in Pakistan and Malawi suggests that although systematically recorded history of such indigenous initiatives is lacking, women in these settings would attest that there exists generational knowledge about such small-scale, group-based micro-lending which can be used to enhance livelihoods in rural households.

Extreme poverty alleviation through community-based entrepreneurship: PRODECO in Paraguay
DOI: 10.1080/09614524.2014.867301
Julian Gallardo & Emmanuel Raufflet*
pages 140-146
Received: 26 Sep 2011
Accepted: 3 Oct 2013
Published online: 22 Apr 2014
Abstract
Community-based entrepreneurship projects have been advocated as a potential approach to alleviate extreme poverty as they provide opportunities for income generation and capacity enhancement. This practical note provides an overview of the PRODECO project undertaken jointly by the Paraguayan government and the World Bank (1999–2008) in three southern departments of Paraguay (Itapúa, Misiones, and Ñeembucú). It describes and analyses the context, scope, operations, and results of this project, and identifies five main lessons related to frequent challenges faced by this approach; on size, access to skills, distance from government agencies, pace, and technology