Abstract
This chapter is about research carried out to examine the perceived impact of a No Interest Scheme (NILS) loan on the financial capability of people on low incomes in Queensland, Australia. Seventeen NILS participants who have completed repaying a NILS loan were interviewed to explore how participants used NILS, their attitude towards money, their money management style; the unfreedoms participants experienced; and the perceived impact of NILS loans on participants’ money management skills. We argue that in order for microfinance programs to achieve maximum benefit, building financial capability for their participants is as important as providing financial access. However, what the study reveals is that while participants acknowledge the usefulness of no interest loans, there is little evidence that such loans contribute to their overall financial capability.
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Ling, L.I., Wilson, J., Shevellar, L. (2017). Managing Everyday Living: Microfinance and Capability. In: Cumming, D., Dong, Y., Hou, W., Sen, B. (eds) Microfinance for Entrepreneurial Development. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-62111-1_6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-62111-1_6
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