Mr Aziz offers me the obligatory cup of tea in his office and, even though I have already had five cups of tea that day, I graciously accept as “no” is just not an option in a Pakistani business meeting.  It would be like saying, “No, I don’t think I will breathe any of your oxygen for the rest of the meeting as you smell bad.”  It’s an insult mixed in with breaking some law of physics.

As my tea is served, Mr Aziz tells me that the PPAF, the Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund started in 2000 with the intention of breaking from the traditional microfinance mentality in Pakistan which was too non-profity for him.  He’s seen too many NGOs offer a boatload of services to poor people - how to read classes, free bednets, the kitchen sink - and just tack on microfinance as an afterthought.  The PPAF is business oriented, keeping a hard eye on the bottom line.  (more…)