Devex

David Lepeska

David has served as U.N. correspondent for the newswire UPI and reported for several major newspapers, including the New York Daily News and Newsday. He was chief correspondent for the Kashmir Observer in Srinagar, India, and regularly contributes to the Economist, among other publications. Since 2007, David has reported for Devex News from Washington, New York, as well as South Asia.

Latest Articles

  • An 'Ethnographic' Approach to Development
    18 Jun 2009

    The book “Portfolios of the Poor: How the World’s Poor Live on $2 a Day” is almost anthropological, or ethnographic, says co-author Jonathan Morduch. We rarely see the lives of the poor in this great of detail, and similar “financial diaries” are already being used to evaluate development programs, the New York University economics professor and microfinance expert notes.

  • Let’s Get Real About Social Businesses
    18 Jun 2009

    The idea of “social business” is interesting, but it is still in its infancy, says Jonathan Morduch, New York University economics professor and microfinance expert. To prevent it from becoming a fad, an honest discussion must better articulate business models and address potential trade-offs, he argues.

  • In Microfinance Sector, Technical Skills are Wanted
    18 Jun 2009

    The microfinance sector is in need of professionals with financial and other highly technical skills, says New York University economics professor and microfinance expert Jonathan Morduch.

  • 'Smart Cards': A Microfinance Innovation
    18 Jun 2009

    The finger-printing technology of “smart cards” in India offers the opportunity to link the poor to their banking data, says New York University economics professor and microfinance expert Jonathan Morduch. It allows residents to move from place to place and establish greater credit-worthiness, he notes.

  • Reaching Hard-to-Reach Places
    18 Jun 2009

    In rural areas, a successful microfinance business model is hard to pin down, says New York University economics professor and microfinance expert Jonathan Morduch. Mobile banking may offer the best solutions on issues such as transaction costs and rural staffing, he notes.

  • Microfinance's Role in Averting Health Crises
    18 Jun 2009

    Jonathan Morduch, New York University economics professor and co-author of “Portfolios of the Poor,” suggests linking health and microfinance to create a simple insurance program for possible emergencies.

  • The Best Uses of Microfinance Money
    18 Jun 2009

    New York University economics professor and microfinance expert Jonathan Morduch doubts that most microfinance institutions will be self-sustaining in the future. But he does believe donor money can be put to better use to help institutions diversify their funding sources, as Grameen has done in Bangladesh.

  • Rethinking Microfinance With Consumption Loans
    18 Jun 2009

    Studies show that most microfinance loans are being spent on consumer goods, not the creation of new enterprise. Microfinanciers need to create better consumption loans and couple them with savings and insurance products, suggests Jonathan Morduch, a New York University economics professor.

  • The Lack of Microfinance Impact Studies
    17 Jun 2009

    Microfinance has suffered from a lack of impact studies, says New York University economics professor Jonathan Morduch. Part of the problem has been donors who might not want to know the answers, he argues, adding that the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has incited a shift in attitude toward the issue.

  • Microfinance and the Great Profit Debate
    17 Jun 2009

    We should be willing to accept the trade-offs that come with the ongoing cleavage between profit-seeking and social advancement, between doing good and doing well, says Jonathan Morduch, New York University economics professor and co-author of “Portfolios of the Poor.”

  • See all articles by David Lepeska