The Role of Borrowers Living Area and Its Moderation Effect of Relationship of Microfinance and Poverty Alleviation in Sri Lanka: Multi –Group CFA

Abstract

This article highlights the moderating effect of living areas of the borrowers on the impact of microfinance programs on poverty alleviation. The study has utilized the data from 497 borrowers of Samurdhi microfinance in five disaster-affected districts in the country to examines that two different living areas (disaster-affected and non-disaster affected area) of borrowers moderate the relationship between microfinance services and poverty alleviation. The Multi- Group CFA analysis was performed to identify the moderating effect using AMOS 21. Quantitative results were finding revealed that the moderation tests were significant for all the three microfinance services on poverty alleviation. The effect of microfinance services of borrowers in the disaster-affected area higher than the borrowers in non-disaster area.