Biography

Aby has extensive field experience in the study of markets and financial systems in a range of countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America. She has carried out in-depth analyses of different types of financial institutions, including commercial and savings banks, non-bank financial institutions, cooperatives and credit unions, NGO microfinance initiatives, and informal groups. Aby’s work includes a strong focus on rural and agricultural finance. She is currently managing a project in Zambia to facilitate the implementation of a wholesale credit facility for contracted small-scale production. In 2009, she undertook an extensive study of the rural financial services market in Tanzania and she is currently assisting the government of Rwanda in designing and implementing a Challenge Fund to help finance the acquisition of assets by very poor households who depend on agriculture for their livelihoods. Aby’s work in supporting the development of the agricultural sector is grounded on her knowledge and deep understanding of the livelihoods of poor households, the dynamics of informal markets, and the use of cash and management of income-generating activities among poor households in rural areas. Recently, Aby has also been working on access and use of financial services by the very poor, exploring the links between social protection schemes and microfinance services. She is currently engaged in providing technical support and advice to stakeholders in Rwanda on the financial services component of a national cash transfer programme. She is also advising the United Nations Relief and Works Agency on the options for delivering cash transfers to targeted beneficiaries in Jordan, Syria and the West Bank and has been involved in developing the research tools and framework for analysing the links between cash transfers, financial access and increased savings in Kenya.