Migrants and Microfinance in the Sudan

Crystal Murphy (Department of Planning, Policy and Design)

How do refugees coming out of protracted conflict and protracted tenure in a largely non-cash camp economy make sense of newfound access to banking services? This project looks at newly repatriated refugees in Juba, South Sudan, and explores the transition from settlement economy to that of mobile transfers of microloans. It uses the mandatory loan meetings as a point of departure for the study, and at this stage investigates the institutional discourse that advocates the new monetary mode of payment. I seek to learn: How do microfinance institutions discursively arrange solidarity groups around the commonality of having dwelt in similar settlements for two decades? How do microfinance institutions describe their obligations and the technology to their clients? How is the concept of trust employed by the institution and client?