Financial strategies of marginalized urban inhabitants and potentials of microfinance in sub-Saharan Africa. focal point: (negative and positive) impacts on social capital target group: financially excluded

• Applicant: Professorin Dr. Beate Lohnert
• Subject Area: Human Geography
• Term: from 2010 to 2017
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 148563173

Social capital is a pivotal issue for the livelihood strategies of marginalized inhabitants in urban areas in Africa. Microloans have an impact on social capital (as shown in the hitherto research). Additionally missing social and human capital can be a crucial access barrier for potential microfinance clients. The aim of the project is to analyse the complexity between social capital, access to microcredit as well as livelihood strategies from a socio-economic point of view. As yet microloans were analysed as strategy for improved housing. Moreover the social coherence in the tension-filled area between trust, peer monitoring and peer pressure was explored within multiple formal and informal microcredit groups (please see report for further details). The prolongation of the project shall expand the findings by outsiders' perspectives. Target group will be persons who are (voluntary or marginalized) not in any credit group. These financially excluded will be traced and interviewed, to analyse their point of view on microfinance supply. In the established research areas present facilities for formal and informal loans are already known. Main objective is to detect why some inhabitants do not become members in microfinance groups - although several possibilities for microloans are nearby - and how social capital influences this condition.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants