What is Village Phone Direct?
Village Phone Direct is an approach to the Village Phone model that allows virtually any microfinance institution to directly develop a Village Phone product for their clients and to select the local telecommunications provider to purchase the pre-paid vouchers. Grameen Foundation has partnered with Nokia to make a Village Phone Equipment Kit available for purchase in developing countries. Microfinance clients can purchase this kit through their microfinance institution, by taking out a loan which will be repaid with proceeds from the business. The client is now a Village Phone Operator and rents the use of the phone on a per-call basis to people in their community. The program is described in detail in Grameen Foundations Village Phone Direct manual, and is available by contacting us at VPD@grameenfoundation.org.
