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Description
The podcast meeting innovators and sector leaders who are unlocking the potential of financial inclusion as an enabler of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Through a mix of in-depth conversations and documentary-style storytelling, the podcast highlights the people and projects driving meaningful change, while also exploring the big questions the sector needs to confront to move forward.
Produced by SIJ Media
19 Episodes
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In this episode, Jack met Gayatri Murthy, Gender Lead at CGAP to explore the next chapter of women's financial inclusion. Women’s financial inclusion has made undeniable progress, but access alone has not delivered empowerment. Drawing on global research and country experience, we unpack the systemic barriers that persist beneath the surface including gender norms embedded in institutions, fragmented efforts, and misaligned incentives. Through the episode, we explore how to move f...
In this episode, we sit down with Rahma Seif, Producer at Mediae, to go behind the scenes of one of East Africa's most successful edutainment initiatives. Edutainment (education through entertainment) is moving from experimental to essential in the financial inclusion sector, with evidence showing it achieves significantly better knowledge retention and behaviour change than traditional approaches. Rahma walks us through Mediae's long-running serialised drama Makutano Junction and...
In Episode 4 of the series, we meet Solène Podevin Favre, Global Director of Insurance at VisionFund International. Solène shares VFI's experience designing and scaling inclusive insurance across Africa, Asia, and Latin America — covering what they've learned about co-creating trusted products with insurers and communities, and why partnership is key to building resilience for microfinance borrowers and NGO beneficiaries alike. Key Topics Discussed Solène's journey from public health to lea...
Remittances are a vital financial lifeline for millions of African families, helping to strengthen household resilience, advance financial inclusion and support local economic growth. Across much of the continent, remittances have traditionally been received in cash, typically between US$200 and US$300 per transaction, often involving long travel times and the risks associated with carrying money. Through the EU-funded PRIME Africa Programme, implemented by IFAD’s Financing Facili...
In Episode 2, we meet Maria Mateo Iborra, Founder of IBISA. In this episode, Maria shares her entrepreneurial journey that led to founding IBISA, a company that leverages satellite technology to provide innovative insurance solutions for farmers. We discuss her passion for technology, the challenges of entering emerging markets, and her vision for making climate insurance mainstream. Key Topics Discussed Maria's entrepreneurial journeyThe role of satellite technology in insuranceChall...
Welcome to Series 2! Happy New Year and welcome back to Financial Inclusion Unlocked! We're thrilled to kick off Series 2 with 10 powerful episodes releasing every Monday through the end of March. This season, we're diving deep into conversations with innovators, practitioners, and thought leaders who are working to unlock the potential of financial inclusion for all. In this opening episode, we tackle a topic that's often overlooked but desperately needs attention: disability inclusion in fi...
In this season finale, we take you to Uganda to explore how innovative fintech and agribusiness partnerships are driving a new era of agricultural finance for coffee growers. Emata is a Ugandan fintech (and licensed MFI) working in agriculture. They partner with agri companies to give smallholder farmers affordable, AI-powered digital loans. In this episode, Lilian Nassanga Musoke and Maren Hald Bjørgum walk us through the journey of the company since 2020 and how they partner with cooperativ...
What happens when one of the world’s biggest insurers decides to design products for the population that’s too poor to be rich — and too rich to be poor? In this deeply insightful conversation, Garance Wattez-Richard shares the story behind the creation of AXA EssentiALL. From her first pitch to launching operations in 22 markets, Garance walks us through the business model, the value proposition, and the mindset shift required to make insurance truly inclusive. Guest: Garance Wattez-Ri...
Smallholder farmers are the backbone of Africa's agricultural sector, producing 80% of the region's food supply. In this episode, we met with Tim Strong, Head of Agricultural Finance for Opportunity International to discuss how financial inclusion can be a vehicle for smallholder farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa to achieve their goals. Guest: Timothy Strong, Head of Agricultural Finance at Opportunity International USA The episode covered: The $170 billion annual financing gap faci...
The adoption of digital financial services, or DFS has created significant impact for underserved communities across the world. The United Nations states that inclusive digital financial services have allowed individuals to store and increase savings, cope with unexpected economic shocks, access social benefits more cheaply, and make investments in economic opportunities that can lead them out of poverty. However, whilst the adoption of DFS has the potential for transformative impact, d...
When climate disasters strike, the world's most vulnerable communities often face devastating financial losses. In an era of increasing climate risks, traditional disaster response isn't enough. Communities need financial solutions that put them in control of their recovery. In Episode 6 of the Financial Inclusion Unlocked Podcast, we met with Nilesh Prakhash, Co-Director of the Global Shield against Climate Risks, to explore how locally led Climate and Disaster Risk Finance and Insurance sol...
The way that we view and define financial inclusion continues to evolve. Not only is financial inclusion measured on purely “access” but on how it can be a vehicle to accelerate the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals. In this episode, we meet with Sophie Sirtaine, the Chief Executive Officer of CGAP, to discuss what the future of financial inclusion looks like. CGAP is an international partnership housed in the World Bank Group, dedicated to promoting inclusive financial ecosystems that enab...
From Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs) to ROSCAs and Cuchubales, community-based financial groups have a long history of empowering individuals. Whether it’s for personal development or economic resilience, saving groups have been a cornerstone of financial inclusion for centuries. In this episode, we met with Jeff Ashe, a financial inclusion expert, author and lecturer with over 45 years experience in the sector. Jeff was previously a Senior Associate Director at Accion Int...
Uganda is the largest refugee-hosting country in Africa, with over 1.7 million refugees and asylum seekers in the country. For those arriving in Uganda, accessing basic financial services has been incredibly difficult due to a lack of legal documentation, collateral and inadequate banking infrastructure. In this episode, we met with two leading experts representing Opportunity Bank Uganda Limited (OBUL) and Opportunity International UK (OIUK). Guests: - Amos Bonna, Chief Relationship Of...
With the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events increasing, Small Island Developing States (SIDs) are bearing the brunt of climate change, facing a growing number of threats including cyclones, floods, and rising sea levels. For instance, Fiji alone has seen devastating impacts from cyclones like Cyclone Winston in 2016, which the World Bank stated caused over $1.4 billion in damage—around 20% of the country’s GDP. As communities in Small Island Developing States experience these c...
In the first episode of the new Financial Inclusion Unlocked podcast, Jack met with Thomas Yann Piveteau, Financial Sector Specialist at The World Bank to learn about Project FASTT. Thomas explained the objectives of the project, which aims to develop fast payment systems globally. The discussion covers the benefits of these systems, the role of central banks, challenges in implementation, and the comparison between fast payment systems and central bank digital currencies (CBDCs). Thoma...
Episode Sponsored by the Microinsurance Network In November 2025, we travelled to Luxembourg for the European Microfinance Award. The award is a prestigious prize that recognises outstanding initiatives advancing financial inclusion; in its 2025 edition, the theme focused on building resilience through inclusive insurance. The award is organised by InFiNe, the European Microfinance Platform (e-MFP), and the Luxembourg Government, with this year’s edition also supported by the Microinsurance N...
Following a fantastic and successful Series 1 of show, we're excited to bring you a special bonus episode, before the launch of Series 2 in January 2026. In May 2025, Jack travelled to Honiara, the capital of the Solomon Islands—a stunning nation in the Pacific made up of nearly 1,000 islands. With a population of just over 800,000, the country faces unique geographic and infrastructure challenges, especially when it comes to delivering financial services to its many remote communities. While...
Financial Inclusion Unlocked is launching on 24th March!! The new podcast series is on a journey to learn how we can unlock the potential of financial inclusion as an enabler for the 17 UN SDGs. From the heights of Uganda's Rwenzori Mountains to the islands of Fiji, we're uncovering stories of breakthrough solutions covering topics from parametric insurance protecting communities against cyclones to innovative solutions empowering refugee entrepreneurs and instant payments. Financial Inclusio...
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