Revista de Economía y Negocios

A Poverty Reduction Strategies: Evidence from U-Microfinance Bank

Abstract

Iram Rani, Minhoon Khan Laghari, Hira Rani Shaikh and Muhammad Asif Channa

This Study intends the assessment of micro loan by U microfinance from females of upper Sindh. The core objective was to assess the impact of U-Microfinance on poverty level of female for improving their living standards by providing them micro loans to be used for their small-scale business which could enable them to be empowered politically, socially, economically, and assessing its impacts on the health and education of their families. Therefore, this Study was conducted on assessment of microloan interventions of U Micro finance in the rural areas of upper Sindh. Quantitative approach used to measure the impact of micro loan on the poverty status of the female along with a qualitative study to further confirm the findings. In this study quasi experimental design was used in which two groups of data from the same respondents assuming the data ‘Before-loan and After-Loan Situation’ from the female borrowers of Khairpur, Sukkur, Shikarpur, Larkana and Dadu Districts of Upper Sindh. Poverty Score Card was used as a survey instrument originally developed by World Bank for each region separately. The indicators used in questionnaire were education of self and children, number of family members, rooms in the house, basic household facilities to advanced i.e. washing machine, cooking stove heater, Air Conditioner and television along with indicators of other assets like live Stock, engine driven vehicles and agricultural land.