Kimberley Wilson previously worked for the Center as a Senior Researcher and continues her association as a Visiting Fellow. She is presently a Lecturer at the Fletcher School and teaches two courses, Microfinance: Issues and Breakthroughs and Development Aid in Practice. Prior to joining Tufts, she was Director of the Global Micro-Finance Unit at CRS (Catholic Relief Services) from 1998 to 2005 responsible for redesigning strategy for CRS’ global microfinance programming, broadening of services to include bank linkages and other forms of vertical integration, and providing senior technical oversight of combined $19 million global microfinance program portfolio in 25 countries. She has published in several journals on microfinance and is currently working in collaboration with others to develop and implement research in the area of financial resilience in marginalized and conflict-affected communities. Kim holds an MBA from Simmons College Graduate School of Management.
Email: Kimberley.Wilson@Tufts.edu
Briefing Papers
Savings and Chance, a study by a team from the Center for Emerging Market Enterprises (CEME) at the Fletcher School at Tufts University explores the ubiquity of gambling practices in Haiti and their implication for financial services. As findings indicate, the Haitian lottery, known as the borlette, appears as a historical and cultural response to economic and social marginalization, as well as a manifestation of undeterred hope for a transformational lump sum, a sum large enough to allow them to escape their current circumstances.
In Haiti, many farmers lie beyond the reach of the formal banking system and MFIs. A powerful method of local financial intermediation, called mutuelles is helping to bridge the gap. Efficiently formed by local NGOs and church organizations, mutuelles are forces of social change. They also demonstrate financial discipline and could prove an interesting market for MFIs and banks seeking new customers for financial services.