TOP 100 MICROFINANCE INSTITUTIONS IN SOUTH AMERICA

INAFI Family congratulates Ecuador’s Fundación para el Desarrollo Integral Espoir.

Fundación para el Desarrollo Integral Espoir jumped to second place, registering a remarkable advance over the previous year, by virtue of the results it achieved in the efficiency pillar. It effectively applied the community bank methodology, enabling strong portfolio quality (portfolio at risk > 30 days of 1.1 percent) and efficient operations, spreading its per-loan expenditures (US$89) over its entire client base.

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The Microfinance Information Exchange along with the Multilateral Investment Fund has released the 2010 list of top 100 Microfinance Institutions in Americas. The Microfinance Americas 100 is a report which focuses on the ranking of microfinance institutions (MFIs) in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Microfinance Americas 100 ranks the top performing MFIs in the South America and measures their performance on the three pillars of outreach, efficiency, and transparency. Each MFI obtains a certain score by combining the indicators that comprise each pillar. Read more

UGANDA: Government Releases Sh60 Billion for Saccos

Kampala — THE Government, through the Microfinance Support Centre, has launched a $27m (sh60b) project to help the rural poor access financial services.

The rural income and employment enhancement project, jointly funded by the African Development Bank and the Islamic Development Bank, is targeting about 1.4 million poor people. Read more

PHILIPPINES: BSP allows rural, thrift banks to establish microbanking offices

Rural and thrift banks may establish microbanking offices (MBOs) in cities and municipalities where microfinance-oriented banking services are unavailable, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) said Friday.

The Monetary Board had allowed the establishment of MBOs to help banks extend the reach of their services in areas where it is economically unjustifiable to set up large-scale bank services, BSP Deputy Gov. Nestor Espenilla Jr. said.
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INAFI and Oxfam Novib launch project linking microfinance institutions and immigrant associations in Geneva

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Download (French) INAFI Invitation 20101021
Download brochure (English) here
Download brochure (French) here

Sous le haut patronage de Son Excellence le
 Président de la Commission de l’Union Africaine Docteur Jean PING
 auprès des Nations Unies à Genève

INAFI International et Oxfam Novib

en partenariat avec le Fonds Mondial de la Diaspora

Ont le plaisir d’inviter les migrants africains à

une réunion d’information

sur le thème des transferts de fonds des migrants via les institutions de Microfinance et leur impact pour le développement

Lieu: 1, rue de Varembé Genève - Salle du RDC (face à l’IUT et la Place des Nations)

Date : 21 octobre 2010

Heure: 18h30-20h
Entrée libre - Buffet Africain & boissons

Programme de la réunion:

-Allocution de S.E. l’Ambassadeur Khadija R. MASRI

-Allocution de Hon. Soukeyna Ndiaye BA, Présidente d’INAFI International

-Allocution de Eric ADJA, Président du Fonds Mondial de la Diaspora et conseiller du Président du Bénin

-Signature du partenariat entre INAFI et le FMD

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(Modérateur Awa NDIAYE, Directrice Générale d’Espace Afrique International)

-Présentation des activités du projet UE INAFI Remittances  (Jean POUIT)

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-Premiers résultats de l'étude de l'Université de Maastricht auprès de 2000 migrants dans 10 pays d'Europe (Silja WEYEL)

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-Le compte Epargne Migrants: comment une alliance d'Institutions Microfinance africaines pourrait offrir bientôt aux migrants des transferts de fonds gratuits et la gestion de leur compte au pays par Internet et Mobile banking (Jean POUIT)

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-Formation gratuite pour 120 migrants: inscrivez vous pour participer à une sélection des meilleurs projets de co développement et bénéficiez de formations gratuites en gestion de projet, gestion financière, levée de fonds pour accéder aux possibilités de financement (Daniela RUSSO)

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-Questions débat

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Un cocktail et des rafraichissements seront servis à l’issue de la réunion

Projet financé par l’Union Européenne



Pour plus d’informations:
www.africa-union.org
www.inafi.org
www.oxfamnovib.nl
www.diasporafund.org
www.espace-afrique.ch
ou écrire à
daniela.russo@oxfamnovib.nl

African Banker Awards for the 2010 shortlists ACSI Ethiopia as Microfinance of the Year

Amhara Credit and Saving Institution (ACSI - Ethiopia) has been shortlisted as Microfinance of the Year by The African Banker Awards for the 2010 edition of the annual event. This year, according to organisers, competition is characterised by a more even geographical spread of financial institutions making the selection cut.

Other nominees under this category are BRAC Uganda Microfinance Ltd. (Uganda), Equity Bank Ltd (Kenya) First Microfinance Foundation (Egypt) and National Bank for Development (Egypt).

Source: 

http://www.bizcommunity.com/Article/410/40/52169.html

About ACSI:

Amhara Credit and Savings Institution (ACSI) is the largest microfinance institution in Ethiopia. Its primary mission is to improve the economic situation of low-income, productive poor people in the Amhara region through increased access to lending and saving services. ACSI was initiated in 1995 by the Organization for the Rehabilitation and Development in Amhara (ORDA), an indigenous NGO engaged in development activities in the Amhara region. ACSI undertook its pilot activities in 1996, and was licensed as a microfinance company in April 1997. The organization has ten branches, 185 sub-branches and over 2000 employees. It focuses on financial services support for small farmers and makes predominantly agricultural loans using the group lending methodology. In 2007, ASCI was ranked sixth in the world and 2nd in Africa by Forbes magazine in a survey listing the top 50 microfinance institutions in the world.

Email: acsi1@ethionet.et

Website: http://www.acsi.org.et

Self regulation for a sustainable future

CHENNAI: A network of NGOs has decided to take the first step towards self regulation by adopting a set of guidelines on financing, administration and ethics to be followed in running an NGO.

The guidelines, proposed at a conference of NGO leaders, aim to attain sustainability through self regulation and also expected to build confidence of the NGOs with banks, thereby boosting the microfinance sector.

"Along with the growth and spread of microfinance organisations come concerns over quality and sustainability of the various NGOs and SHGs in question. That's why we have come together to develop a self regulation framework," said M Kalyanasundaram, Chief Executive of the International Network of Alternative Financial Institutions (INAFI), that organised the conference last September 18.

Among the guidelines adopted were maintaining transparency in book keeping, promotion of financial literacy among microfinance clientele and the facilitation of inclusive financial growth.

The guidelines also insist SHGs and NGOs to campaign against usurious lending practices in the microfinance sector.

Banking officials welcome the self regulating initiative with enthusiasm. "SHGs need to keep in mind that banks and other institutional lenders are worried over the repayment of loans. In the absence of regulations, banks can only do so much," said N S Mishra, GM of Indian Overseas Bank.

He suggested that collectives, like INAFI, that bring SHGs and NGOs under a single banner could help enforce self regulation.


Source

Resource: The Role of Microfinance in Asset-Building and Poverty Reduction: The Case of Sinapi Aba Trust of Ghana

The paper evaluates the extent to which Sinapi Aba Trust has contributed to poverty reduction among rural and urban poor especially women by supporting them with small loans to expand their businesses to generate income to build up their asset base. Using a cross-sectional data from 547 respondents, the study found that participation in the programme has enabled established clients to own savings deposits and subscribe to a client welfare scheme which serves as insurance to pay off debts in times of illness or death. Established clients were also found to be in a better position to contribute towards the education of their children and payment of healthcare for members of their households as well as contribution towards the purchase of household durables. The study noted that programmes that are financially sustainable have greater effects on participants, and that there is the need for clients’ graduation to benefit most from participation in such programmes.


Source

Peru: the world’s best climate for microfinance

The success of microfinance sometimes appears simply a matter of a brilliant idea (lending small amounts to unbanked entrepreneurs) and a charismatic leader (Muhammad Yunus, now a Nobel prize winner).

But microfinance’s future growth may depend on governments and big investors. So it’s significant that, according to a new report out today, Peru has the world’s best business and policy environment for microfinance. Bangladesh, home of the Grameen Bank, doesn’t even make the top 30. Read more