INAFI

Website INAFI Alternative Microcredit Summit, Hyderabad, India

2011-12-06T14:56:00.000-08:00

On June 21-23, INAFI Asia co-organized the INAFI Alternative Microcredit Summit in Hyderabad, India.
The Summit website is now updated. http://www.alternativemfsummit.org/overview.php

Please check for copies of full report.

For full report Proceedings

Ninth Advanced Reflective Training and education (ART) course on Micro Insurance

2011-11-21T05:17:00.000-08:00

We are happy to inform you about the “Ninth Advanced Reflective Training and education (ART) course on Micro Insurance”. The course focuses on micro insurance perspectives, concepts, principles, product design and different insurance products for poor to reduce their risks and vulnerabilities in pursuit of poverty reduction. Further the course covers the vital aspects of community insurance, insurance regulations, literacy and reinsurance.

It would also cover micropension, Insurance to People Living with HIV and online micro insurance education. The participants are invited from Asian, African and European countries who are the implementers of micro insurance practitioners and the learners. The course will facilitate sharing of experiences from different countries and aims at promoting collaborative efforts to advance micro insurance activities. Half day workshop would be conducted on specific insurance.

The course duration is for four days from December 6 - 9, 2011, which includes one day field visit. Faculty members are micro insurance experts, insurance company officials, and resource persons from different countries to ensure greater learning among the participants.

For more information, please contact:

J.A.N. Vijayabharathi

Coordinator, ASKMI,

Tata-Dhan Academy.

DHAN Foundation

T.Malaipatti, Thenkarai (Po)

Mullipalam (So), Solavandhan (via)

Madurai – 625 207, Tamil Nadu, India

Tel: 91-4543-293405/406, 0452 – 2301510.

tatadhanacademy@gmail.com

askmimail@gmail.com
Ph no:0452-2475318/2301510
Mob: 09486731466
website: http://www.dhan.org/tda

Please download training brochure here

INAFI International Implements a User-Owned, Low Cost Remittance Service

2011-10-04T03:32:00.001-07:00

International Network of Alternative Financial Institutions (INAFI International) is delighted to announce that it secured funding from the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) under its Financing Facility for Remittances to start with the implementation of a User-Owned, Low Cost Remittance Service. This service will (i) provide an alternative to the current cash-to-cash dominated remittance services; (ii) increase financial literacy among remittance senders and recipients; and (iii) link remittances to microfinance services allowing access to bank accounts, savings, credit services and innovative remittance-based products and services. Initially, under the scope of the grant agreement signed between INAFI and IFAD, the service will target the important Spain-Senegal corridor and it will therefore be implemented at two INAFI member Micro Finance Institutions in Senegal (FDEA and U-IMCEC). Once the expected results are achieved, the service could easily be rolled out to other countries.

INAFI believes that low-cost transfer of remittances is a necessary tool to bring financial services closer to poor people and expects that this innovative new service will serve as a platform to promote local, social and economic development.

To implement the User-Owned, Low Cost Remittance Service, INAFI signed a partnership agreement with the Barcelona-based Federation of Associations of Senegalese Migrants (CASC) and AUXFIN. CASC is an organization established to promote cooperation and interrelation between the Senegalese community and the Spanish and Senegalese public administrations. AUXFIN will provide the UMVA system, a platform and software developed for small banks, with special functions for migrants and their needs for remittances services. Mr. Marco van Andel, an expert in micro-finance, remittances and financial development was recruited as the project manager of this project. He will be a key collaborator between the three partners and will manage the project on behalf of INAFI.

Soukeyna Ndiaye Ba (Executive Director of INAFI): “INAFI is convinced that remittances sent by migrants have a great development potential and therefore remittances is a key theme in our strategic development plan. New initiatives to leverage remittances for development by linking microfinance and remittances are now being initiated by our network in several countries around the world. We are delighted by the support of IFAD to this specific initiative for which our expectations are very high.“

Amadou Bocar Sam (President of CASC): “The idea of a user-owned, low-cost remittance service has been on top of our agenda for several years and after so much hard work the moment has now come to start implementing the idea. We are convinced that we have the right partners to turn this idea into an innovative reality.”

Cornelis Heesbeen (CEO of AUXFIN): “We are excited to provide our tested UMVA tools and expertise to this ground-breaking initiative. It is a great opportunity for us to start working with INAFI and 2 of its member MFI’s, thus expanding further the scope of our growing activities. New in this project is the Migrant Development Fund; the results of this project will have a large impact for migrants over the world.”

MICROFINANCE AND INCLUSIVE DEVELOPMENT: DECLARATIONS

2011-07-03T08:18:00.000-07:00

DECLARATIONS

An alternative Summit on Microfinance focusing on inclusive development has been organized by National Rural Livelihoods Mission, Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India, SERP, Government of Andhra Pradesh, and International Network of Alternative Microfinance Institutions (INAFI India) from 21-23, 2011. The international conference was attended by delegates from India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Afghanistan, Philippines, and China.

With primacy on social capital, development outcome and savings-led microfinance services, the summit had deliberated upon the multi-dimensional aspects of development covering livelihoods, health, MDGs, social security, gender empowerment and mainstreaming across the development spectrum. A host of operational and policy issues have emerged from the deliberations, so also policy leads in many of the topical issues. Synthesizing these issues and policy leads/recommendations, the summit resolved to commend the following declarations to the world of microfinance including the practitioners, Government, regulators and policy makers.

1. The purpose of microfinance being poverty reduction, development outcome connecting with Millennium Development Goals, securing social security and entitlements should be guiding the provision of microfinance services.

2. The institutions delivering micro-credit shall be recognized as MCIs i.e. Micro Credit Institutions and not as MFIs as it gives rise to misleading expectations and under advantages. The summit recognizes the need to develop appropriate nomenclature for microfinance with inclusive development.

3. The social capital model of microfinance shall focus on building institutions founded on mutuality and solidarity, specifically federations of SHG, and specialized institutions on health, education, livelihood for technical support to SHGs.

4. Microfinance shall go beyond credit and shall include ‘Savings-first’ approach with differentiated savings products for livelihood, health, education and life cycle needs; insurance and micro pension for social for social security, remittance services for migrants, micro justice for conflict resolution.

5. Holistic development approach with social and financial intermediation, livelihoods/enterprise promotion, integration with mainstream for civic intermediation with proper sequencing, graduation, context and member specific interventions shall guide the microfinance programmes.

6. Microfinance interventions shall be integrated into sub-sector economic development process such as agriculture, farming, dairy, fisheries, etc.

7. Capacity building of the enabling and demand stream is a crucial component of microfinance interventions and needs continuous public investment.

8. Self-regulation process shall be a part of the microfinance programmes, which would promote growth with equality. The SHG Federations shall draw a road map and set standards for governance, financial and social development aspects according to their age and contexts and evolve action plans for implementation.

9. In building livelihoods systems, community ownership in the form of producer and marketing companies with professional management shall be promoted with innovative and appropriate credit products. Creation of value and supply chain needs public investments for establishing infrastructure like cold chain, transport and processing.

10. Gender empowerment and mainstreaming shall remain the core of the microfinance programmes.

11. Highly vulnerable groups including Destitute, aged, physically and mentally challenged shall be organized with the help of microfinance exclusively with higher degree of sensitivity and innovation.

12. Mainstreaming microfinance through linkages with the banking system shall promote financial inclusion to provide access with affordability for the poor. The banking system shall respond to the microfinance clients with timely credit and appropriate financial products.

Centre advises self-help group model to counter MFIs

2011-06-22T09:29:00.000-07:00

He said bank-linked SHG model can also offer a cafeteria of financial products similar to MFIs.Appreciating efforts of Andhra Pradesh government in regulating microfinance institutions (MFIs) and protecting interests of poor borrowers, union government has advised the state government to revamp its bank-linked self help groups (SHGs) model.

Jairam Ramesh, union minister of state for environment and forests, said the current bank-linked SHG model of AP does not offer a bouquet of financial products the way MFIs could offer. Also, while MFIs lending was more borrower driven meeting the needs, timing and quantum of loan of borrowers, the bank-linked SHG model was more bank driven.

“Both nature and timing of financial product is not borrower driven but bank driven in bank-SHG linkage program. This is the inherent limitation in bank-SHG linked model,” he said delivering keynote address at global summit on microfinance in Hyderabad on Tuesday.

Source

Intl summit on microfinance

2011-06-21T10:26:00.000-07:00

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Hyderabad, Jun 20: The three-day international summit on the theme of 'Microfinance and Inclusive Development' begins here from tomorrow.

The Society for Elimination of Rural Poverty (SERP), Government of Andhra Pradesh, in association with Natinal Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM) of Government of India and International Network of Alternative Financial Institutions (INAFI) were organising the summit, Minister for IKP, Women and Children V Sunitha Laxma Reddy said at a press conference here today.

Ms Reddy said on the opening day of the Summit, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy would deliver the inaugural address while Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Forests and Environment Jairam Ramesh would deliver the keynote address.

She said there was a greater concern across the globe that micro-finance programmes had been drifting from the original purpose and moving away from the primary objective of addressing poverty rather than being more concerned with the sustainability, resulting in gross commercialization with its attendant impact or chasing profits at the expense of clients.

The Minister, however said, the alternative perspectives of community ownership, building social capital through microfinance and leveraging microfinance for larger development process and outcome had been expressed well in many microfinanceprogrammes across the globe, particularly in Asia. Microfinance practitioners from the countries such as Bangladesh, Philippines, Afghanistan, Nepal, Srilanka, Africa and USA were attending the summit.

Ms Reddy said on the second day of the summit, the delegates would visit the villages and interact with the communities, with whom the SERP was implementing poverty reduction programmes and announced that the credit flow to Self-Help Groups (SHGs) through Banks accounted to Rs 9,000 crore in 2011-12 as against Rs 7,800 crore in 2010-11.

Parallel sessions on various themes related to microfinance issues and challengs to evolve strategies and way forward for inclusive development would also be held where success of SHGs will be showcased.

- Agencies

Jun 20, 2011

Source

Three-day microfinance summit begins today

2011-06-21T02:21:00.000-07:00

Irrespective of what the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) thinks about the role of microfinance institutions (MFIs), the recent actions of the Andhra Pradesh government against these organisations for their alleged excesses in lending to the rural poor, have now assumed a pan-India significance.

Government of India's National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM) and the International Network of Alternative Financial Institutions (INAFI), India, have joined forces with AP to correct what is termed as the 'mission drift' caused by gross commercialisation of microcredit in the last 3-4 years.

The two organisations, along with AP's Society for Elimination of Rural Poverty (SERP), are organising the fourth Alternative Summit, an international event, here from June 21 to 23. The theme is ‘Microfinance and Inclusive Development'. SERP spearheads the self-help group movement under the state rural development department initiative.

"There is a greater concern across the globe that microfinance programmes have been drifting from the original purpose and moving away from the primary objective of addressing poverty. They are more concerned with sustainability resulting in gross commercialisation...&" the state government today said while announcing the details of the summit.

In AP, the MFI operations have come to a standstill with the fate of Rs 6,500-crore microcredit outstandings hanging in balance. The state insists on regulating the MFI activities backed by the special legislation it brought out last year even as RBI thinks there is no need for such a regulation.

Apart from microfinance practitioners from countries such as Bangladesh, Philippines, Afghanistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Africa and USA, the event is being attended by senior officials from both the state and the Centre besides the World Bank and the RBI. Union Minister of State for Environment and Forests Jairam Ramesh and chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy will inaugurate the event tomorrow.

INAFI chief executive M Kalyana-sundaram said no mainstream MFI had been allowed to take part in the event. "The summit is being attended by those NGOs that consider microfinance as a part of their larger objective of addressing poverty," he said.

About 75 overseas delegates, 130 members representing community groups and 150 representatives from various NGOs are taking part in the event, according to Sunita Laxma Reddy, minister - Self-Help Groups and Women's Development.

SERP chief executive officer Rajasekhar said the government would soon announce the details of the proposed NBFC being exclusively set up for catering to the microcredit needs of women self-help groups in the state. The NBFC would be launched with a corpus of Rs 300-400 crore contributed by both the Centre and the state government apart from other financial institutions.

For more pictures, please click HERE:
Source:

Microfinance summit for steps to check exploitation of poor

2011-06-21T02:16:00.000-07:00

About 75 participants from USA, Philippines, Afghanistan, etc. expected to participate

The motto of the three-day summit is ‘development with dignity'

HYDERABAD: Worried over the trend of commercialisation of microfinance services originally envisaged as an important strategy to address poverty, an international summit on microfinance to be held here from Tuesday will analyse the reasons and explore ways to bring the sector back on to the track.

Giving the details, Minister for Women Development and Child Welfare and Indira Kranthi Patham (IKP) Sunita Laxma Reddy told reporters here on Monday that the three-day fourth international summit ‘International Alternative Summit on Microfinance and Inclusive Development' will have ‘Microfinance and Inclusive Development' as its main theme.

It was being organised by Society for Elimination of Rural Poverty (SERP), AP Government in association with the National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM) of Central Government and International Network of Alternative Financial Institutions (INAFI).

Ms. Sunita said that about 75 participants from countries like Bangladesh, Philippines, Afghanistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and USA were attending the summit along with the representatives of SHGs, government, NGOs and banks.

Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy would give the inaugural address and the Union Minister of State for Forests and Environment Jairam Ramesh would deliver the key note address.

The Minister said that unfortunately the MFIs which initially started as NGOs drifted from the objective to promote microfinance as an alternative solution for empowerment of poor communities and focused only on maximising profits by giving multiple loans without due diligence.

This led to several poor families getting caught in the debt trap. That's when the State government brought the legislation to regulate the commercialised MFIs and safeguard the poor.

The three-day summit would have parallel sessions on various themes related to microfinance, issues and challenges and the way forward for inclusive development, she said.

SERP CEO B. Rajsekhar said that this summit would comprise like-minded organisations who view microfinance activities for facilitating the socio-economic development of the BPL families. The summit thus chose ‘development with dignity' as its motto.

Mr. Kalyanasundar, Chief Executive, INAFI, said the summit would focus on community ownership as an alternative to exploitative system by ensuring micro-credit, savings, insurance as a package.

Source

International microfinance summit from today

2011-06-21T02:14:00.000-07:00

HYDERABAD: To put microfinance back on development track, the state government in association with the National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM), the Union government and International Network of Alternative Financial Institutions (INAF), will be organising a two-day seminar in the city from Tuesday.

Announcing this at a press conference on Monday, women development and child welfare minister Sunita Laxma Reddy said the microfinance summit, in which MFI practitioners will take part, would focus on sharing knowledge and practice on advancing development of the power with dignity.

The minister said that microfinance in the state had shown an increasing trend of drifting towards crass commercialisation, resulting in many poor families falling into debt trap. This had made the government to introspect as to what had gone wrong with microfinance and also think of ways to put it back on the track.

Microfinance practitioners from Bangladesh, Philippines, Afganisthan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Africa and USA are among the countries participating in the summit. On the second day of the summit, the delegates will visit and interact with communities with whom Society for Elimination of Rural Poverty is implementing poverty reduction programmes. Chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy is slated to inaugurate the programme and Union environment minister Jairam Ramesh will deliver the keynote address.

Source

Global Remittance Flows Into Continent Less Than 20 Percent

2011-06-18T02:49:00.000-07:00

SINAPI ABA Trust (SAT), a financial institution which seeks to be transforming lives in Africa through micro finance, has revealed that the total global remittance flow into African continent is less than 20 per cent.

The financial institution attributed the low flow of remittance into Africa to lack of confidence and trust building, and exorbitant service charges on the part of the African immigrants.

Speaking in an interview with the Business Chronicle at a conference dubbed 'Harnessing the Potentials of Migration for Development' in Accra, the Chief Executive Officer of SAT, Tony Fosu, added that the percentage of remittances that flows into sub-Sahara Africa when compared with Asia and Latin America countries, which is nothing to write home about.

According to him, the main objective of this conference seeks to link up immigrant associations in the developed world to microfinance institutions in Africa, towards building the necessary confidence so that immigrant organizations and people from Africa can have the confidence to remit money and also to create the necessary environment for people in Africa, to put the money into good use.
Mr. Tony Fosu emphasized that if Africans are able to have access to their remittances on time, they would be able to put the remittances into productive use, such as buying their farming inputs and also pay for other services. This would increase their productivity thereby increase their turn over to improve the national economy.

These institutions face a number of challenges that minimize the comparative advantage they enjoy (for instance geographic location), vis a vis other banking institutions. It is imperative to support MFIs with a realistic lens, in order to increase financial access in Africa through the diaspora".The Principal Investment Officer of African Development Bank (AfDB), Jaaba Rafeal said "The full picture is rather complex because the number of microfinance institutions (MFIs) in Africa operating in the business of remittance transfers is very small, below 5% of all remittance payers.

He noted that although financial institutions generally offer a full range of financial services, the geographic scope of their branches is often limited to their presence in the urban areas.

Source

INAFI Asia organizes Microfinance and Inclusive Development - An Alternative Summit in Hyderabad, India

2011-06-04T02:55:00.000-07:00

Please download conference brochure, by clicking on the picture.

Invitation

We are delighted to write to you to invite you to the Alternative Summit for microfinance being organised by Inafi network (International Network of Alternative Financial Institutions) in association with National Rural Livelihoods Mission, Government of India and Society for Elimination of Rural Poverty, Government of Andhra Pradesh (a Province in India) from 21-23 June, 2011 in Hyderabad, India. INAFI is a global network which brings together microfinance institutions and NGOs at global, regional/continental and country level.

The theme of the conference is Microfinance and Inclusive Development. The conference will focus on the development narrative and stories of microfinance interventions from alternative perspective.

The three day conference will have sub-themes with day one devoted to Client Centric/Community Based Microfinance Programmes and Social Capital, the day two on Development Process and Outcomes Engendered by Microfinance and the day three would look at Innovations, Novel Approaches in delivering financial Services with development focus including savings, credit, insurance and remittances.

For information, please contact:

M.Kalyanasundaram

Chief Executive Officer

E-mail: inafiindia@gmail.com

INTERNATIONAL NETWORK OF ALTERNATIVE FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS-INDIA
(Incorporated as Section 25 not-for-profit Company of Companies Act, 1956)
New No.65, First Floor, 3rd Street, Harvey Nagar, Madurai-625 016, Tamilnadu, INDIA
Tel: 91-452-2300490 : Telefax : 91-452-4358490
E-mail: indiainafi@airtelmail.in ; inafiindia@gmail.com
Skype: inafiindia
Website: www.inafiindia.in

INAFI International website: www.inafi.orghttp://shangrilai.files.wordpress.com/2011/06/microfinance-inclusion-brochure2.pdf

Demise of Chairman, INAFI Asia Trust and our condolence

2011-05-06T00:39:00.000-07:00

THE LATE CONRADO S. NAVARRO

August 22, 1945 – May 5, 2011

It is with profound regret and deepest sorrow to announce the death of Mr. Conrado ‘Ding’ S. Navarro, former President of the Philippine Rural Reconstruction Movement (PRRM). This sad event occurred at 12:45 A.M. of May 5, 2011 at the Perpetual Help Hospital in Las Piñas City. He died of cardiac pulmonary arrest.
The late Ding Navarro or CSN was a very dedicated family man and development manager. He was well respected and loved by his family, friends, colleagues and those who knew him. He leaves to mourn his wife (Medy), children (Gingin and Dondon), grand children (Roxanne, Joreen, Jamie and Kyle Miguel), and sister Baby.

FUNERAL ARRANGEMENTS

All services will be held at:
La Funeraria Paz
Manila Memorial Park
Sucat, Parañaque

Viewing and Wake Keeping:
Beginning on May 5 (Thursday), afternoon until May 8 (Sunday), morning
Funeral Service:
Sunday, May 8 (exact time to be announced later)
Interment:
The remains will be cremated on Sunday, May 8, 3:00 P.M., Manila Memorial Park, Sucat, Parañaque.

For more information, please contact:

Divine Tapec

PRRM National Office

Tel. 3724989, 09178003317

Email: info@prrm.org

Message from INAFI Asia:

Dear all INAFI Friends,

It is very sad news to all of us in INAFI family to hear about the demise of Mr. Conrado S. Navarro alias Ding Navarro. Commonly we all call him “Ding”. Mr. Ding Navarro was the Chair of INAFI Asia Trust, Chair of INAFI Philippines and Vice Chair of Stichting INAFI International. We were shocked and became sorrowful when we heard that Mr. Ding Navarro was no longer with us. Mr. Ding was a generous, well –behaved man, very articulating leader, patient hearing person and good friend of everybody. I had the opportunity to work with him since February 2004 to August 2008 actively. To me, he is a very inspiring leader. I learnt many things from him, particularly how to run the network effectively. We would never forget his contribution in leading INAFI Asia as chair, his kindness, advice and always constructive suggestions, his strong convictions to INAFI’s vision and goal.

There are no words we can say that can provide comfort to his grieving family members but to pray to almighty god for his eternal peace and happiness. We will always be praying for Mr. Ding Navarro. We would like to extend our condolence and sympathy to Ding’s family so that may god give them the strength and courage to absorb this shock and repair the damage caused by his death.

On behalf of INAFI Asia

Atiqun Nabi

Executive Director

INAFI Asia.

Atiqun Nabi
Executive Director
INAFI Asia
Navana Shefali, Apt # 2-D & 1-C, House # 11, Road # 14
Gulshan # 1, Dhaka # 1212, Bangladesh.
Tel # +880-2-8837983, +880-2-8853576, +880-2-9890835-Ext 102
Fax # 880-2-9890835,Ext – 112.
Email: inafi.asia@inafiasia.net, nabi.atiq@inafiasia.net
Web: www.inafiasia.net

Message from INAFI International

We receive this morning with deep emotion and sadness, the death of our friend and colleague, former President of INAFI Philippines, INAFI Asia and the , Vice President of International, Mr Conrado Ding Navarro. Ding has left us the memory of a man deeply humanistic man, fighting for his ideas, rigorous and dedicated to the cause of humanity, development, and justice.
With his passing we lose a great friend.

We will never forget his kindness, advice and suggestions always constructive, his strong convictions.

To his family, his wife (Medy, children (Gingin and Dondon), grand children (Roxanne, Joreen, Jamie and Kyle Miguel) and sister Baby, to his friends and relatives, to INAFI Philippines and to the global family of INAFI International, I would like on behalf of the team of the International Secretariat, and on behalf of our families, to present to all our sincere condolences.

May God grant him paradise, that his suffering is finally over and may he rest in peace.

HON. Soukeyna Ndiaye Ba
International Network of Alternative
Financial Institutions
Sacré Cœur 2, N° 8609 D
BP: 45374 Dakar-Fann, SENEGAL
Tel.: +(221) 33 825 32 22
Fax: +(221) 33 825 32 23
info@inafi.org
www.inafi.org

Microfinance Faces Changing Risks: Banana Skins 2011

2011-02-09T18:53:00.000-08:00

With growth in some markets moving at a fast pace, the microfinance sector faces changing risks. The latest Microfinance Banana Skins 2011 report shows that microfinance institutions must confront new realities to sustain the good reputation the microfinance industry has enjoyed in recent years. The survey measured the risk perceptions of more than 500 practitioners, investors, and close observers of microfinance in 86 countries. Read more

FG Supports Creation of Microfinance Development Fund

2011-01-25T02:22:00.000-08:00

President Goodluck Jonathan has said that the Federal Government will back the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to ensure that a Microfinance Development Fund is established in the country.

The President disclosed this while speaking in Abuja at the opening of the 5th Annual Microfinance Conference and Entrepreneurial Award themed, 'Financial Inclusion for Accelerated Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development: the Nigerian Perspective'. Read more

Related topic: Microfinance Development Fund will crash interest rates

The European Microcredit Research Award 2011 re-launched

2010-12-19T04:07:00.001-08:00

Microfinance Focus, December 18, 2010: European Microfinance Network (EMN) together with Fundación Nantik Lum are re-launching The European Microcredit Research Award in anticipation of the 8th annual EMN Conference this June 9-10 in Amsterdam and has called for original research paper for to be considered for the award.

Papers presenting ongoing or finalised research on issues related to microfinance in the European Union (the 27 Member States) and EFTA (including Norway and Switzerland) countries exclusively are eligible for the award. Papers relating to one of the EMN working groups: Legal environment and regulation, Growth, Sustainability and Funding, Information Technology, and Social Performance will be especially valued.

Representatives of the Fundación Nantik Lum, RWG Core Membership and the EMN will choose the five best papers to distribute at the Conference and the top three will also be presented to the Conference's Research Strand Workshop where the best paper will be awarded the 2011 European Microcredit Research Award. Source

INAFI International signs partnership agreements with migrant organizations in Belgium, Luxembourg, and The Netherlands

2010-12-07T10:48:00.001-08:00

International Network of Alternative Financial Institutions (INAFI International) recently signed partnership agreements with CGMD, FAAL, and DFD to collaborate the project “Harnessing the potentials of remittances for development in Africa by linking microfinance institutions (MFIs) and immigrant associations in Europe”(MIGR/2008/153-811), a three-year project funded by the European Commission. The project aims to actively involve diaspora organizations in various activities by forging partnerships.

Soukeyna Ndiaye Ba, Executive Director of INAFI and Pape Sene, President of Coordination Générale des Migrants pour le Développement (CGMD) signed the partnership agreement after the workshop was conducted at the Centre culturel ELZENHOF in Brussels last November 26. The workshop was attended by about 65 participants representing various African diaspora organizations based in Belgium. CGMD is a federation of various diaspora organizations based in Belgium which are actively involved in migration and development.

In Luxembourg, INAFI signed partnership agreement with the Federation des Associations Africaines du Luxembourg (FAAL) represented by David Foka, President of FAAL. FAAL is a federation of African diaspora organizations based in Luxembourg which primary objective is to facilitate integration of migrants and combat racism and discrimination. Ndiaye Ba signed the agreement representing INAFI International last November 30 at Abbaye de Neumünster, Luxembourg.

Then on December 3, partnership agreement was signed between INAFI International and Diaspora Forum for Development (DFD) at The Hub, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. DFD D) is a platform of more than 40 diaspora organizations, platforms and networks representing more than 30 countries coming from Africa, Latin America and Asia. Santo Deng signed the agreement on behalf of DFD.

The Migrant Tour was launched last October 21 in Montreaux, Switzerland where INAFI signed partnership agreement with World Diaspora Fund, a Swiss-based Cooperative which offer migrants a secure investment vehicle that will contribute to the development of their countries of origin. WDF invests through loans, guarantees, or even taking stakes in microfinance institutions in the South. The Fund will also participate in financing infrastructure identified by the migrants. The WDF also invests through guarantees, loans and equity in Microfinance institutions that are regulated and sustainable. It will also participate to the co-financing of infrastructures proposed by the migrants. The WDF will invest through loans, guarantees, or even taking stakes in microfinance institutions in the South. The Fund will also participate in financing infrastructure identified by the migrants.

The project to foster the links between migration and development is being implemented by IINAFI International and Oxfam Novib. The project aims to achieve financial access for migrants and families, and enhance money transfer competition by providing knowledge, technical assistance, and building partnerships to and with immigrant associations in Europe, microfinance institutions in Africa and money transfer operators.

The project will train and enable 10 microfinance institutions (MFIs) located in 10 Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) countries (Benin, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Mali, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, and Uganda) to increase their competitive edge in money transfers services and other financial-driven instruments. It will also enable MFIs to build partnerships including a co-development program with immigrant associations working or residing in ten European countries (Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, UK, Spain, Switzerland, and Sweden).

The Migrant Tour was coordinated by Jean Pouit, Project Manager and Daniela Russo, Project Officer. Leila Rispens-Noel, Senior Advisor of INAFI International also participated in the events conducted in Belgium, Luxembourg, and The Netherlands.

REPORT: INAFI Joins GFMD 2010 in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

2010-11-24T05:09:00.000-08:00

The opening of the GFMD

More than 400 delegates and observers from 80 countries, representing migrants and a wide range of other civil society actors, international organizations and 33 governments, met during the Civil Society Days of the Global Forum on Migration and Development in Puerto Vallarta to discuss the theme of this year’s meeting--"Partnerships for Migration and Human Development: Shared Prosperity, Shared Responsibility." The event was honored by the presence of H.E. Felipe Calderon Hinojosa, President of Mexico and the active participation of the First Lady, Sra. Margarita Zavala.

In September 2006 the General Meeting of the United Nations organized the High Level Dialogue on International Migration and Development. More than 140 State Members analyzed the global consequences of the international migration and its relationship with the development and proposed an informal dialog over six years.

GFMD is a process wherein the governments participate voluntarily, informally and not bindingly. Policymakers from all over the world participate to share experiences, identify the best practices and encourage cooperation among nations to use migration for the benefit of development. The first GFMD was carried out in July 2007, in Brussels, the second one in Manila (October 2008) and the third one in Athens (November 2009).

BBVA Bancomer Foundation hosted the 4th edition of the Civil Society Days (CSD) within the framework of the Global Forum on Migration and Development 2010 (GFMD). These two events took place successively: the first one with representatives of the Civil Society and the second one with representatives of the State Members of the United Nations. The GFMD 2010 was organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the National Migration Institute of Mexico.

The statement issued by Civil Society Days to the government emphasized that "the right to development is a basic human right; it is far more than economic growth. It is a holistic principle that guarantees the social, economic and cultural rights of all, including migrants; it must include opportunities for human growth, access to decent work at home and abroad, health care, education, security of life and person, and full participation in political and social processes. In short, there can be no real development without human rights."

The Dutch delegation together with the official representatives
of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Leila Rispens-Noel, Senior Advisor at International Network of Alternative Financial Institutions (INAFI) was accredited to attend the Civil Society Days Global Forum on Migration and Development 2010 which was held last November 8-9 in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. She was asked by the GFMD organizer to moderate Session 2.1 titled Recognition, Empowerment and Capacity Building of Migrant Organizations. The panel consisted of Carlos Zarco, executive director at Oxfam Mexico, Agustín Escobar Latapí of Centro de Investigaciones y Estudios Superiores en Antropología Social (CIESAS), and Richard Mandelbaum of CATA-Farmworkers acted as rapporteur. The participants clarified that the term capacity building should be interpreted in a holistic sense, meaning: providing migrants and their organizations with the skills and tools needed to facilitate empowerment and active involvement in processes and decisions that affect their lives (such as development projects, policy setting and governance, etc.)

Key recommendations, to whom and partners to involve:

1. Migrants need to be empowered to defend their human and labor rights in order to combat exploitation and abuses. Migrants’ rights including the right to form and join existing trade unions must be recognized. States should ratify and implement the International Migrant Workers Convention. States must implement international treaties that they have ratified by incorporating them into national legislation and practices. The global trend of criminalization of migration including the militarization of borders and the detention and deportation of undocumented migrants, should be reversed.

2. Resources need to be increased by governments, foundations, and other donors for capacity building of migrants organizations including the areas of finance, organizational skills, and education, including recognition of and granting access to resources to small diaspora organizations and binational organizations and their work in both countries of origin and destination. This effort should be sustained over time. Positive contributions by migrants to development in their home countries should be recognized.

Recommended practices related to the recommendations:

1. Remittances should be leveraged for development, while at the same time recognizing the potential pitfalls, i.e. not to rely on remittances alone. Migrants and their families in countries of origin should be empowered to be able to handle their finances effectively to maximize community development.

2. Accountability: While resources need to be focused on migrants organizations that have a track record of success and concrete results, capacity building should take place continually to empower new organizations. Migrants’ organizations and programs that promote social, political, and economic integration should be supported in particular.

3. States should engage in binding and formal processes to adhere to Human Rights standards in migration policy and implementation. Civil Society needs to hold States accountable. States’ policies should promote acceptance and tolerance of migrants and their beneficial impact in countries of destination.

4. States should institutionalize a permanent role for Civil Society and migrants’ organizations in policy setting from the national to international levels.

5. Future of the Forum: The GFMD should be returned to the United Nations system.

Before attending the GFMD in Puerto Vallarta, she also attended the People’s Global Action as part of the Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD in Mexico City last November 2-5. INAFI together with Diaspora Forum for Development organized a well-attended workshop on European Network of Diaspora Associations – Building partnerships: The European experience. Leila gave a presentation on how INAFI established partnership with Diaspora Forum for Development and the EC-funded project on Harnessing the Potentials of Migrants by Linking Microfinance Institutions and Immigrant Associations. The aim of the project is to leverage remittances for development by linking MFIs and migrants’ remittances. The workshop was well attended which was held at Fiesta Inn.

The objectives of the workshop were:

1. To discuss how to reinforce the EU-wide Network among Diaspora organizations and institutions so as to establish viable contacts, learn from each others’ on development-related activities related to effective protection of economic, social and cultural rights of migrants and their families.

2. To discuss how best Diaspora organizations can initiate feasible cooperation and act jointly on integrating an international human rights framework and principles for the protection of migrants, as well as, to increase the participation of civil society organizations like Oxfam Novib and INAFI.

3. To learn more about different experiences, lessons and challenges of technological innovation such as social media as factors for enhancing the right to access to information as basic tool for development.

4. To discuss how best we can develop effective networks among Diaspora organizations which will enable them to enter into strategic alliances and initiate joint development projects across countries. Present cases and examples of successful collaboration among Oxfam Novib’s local partners to empower communities of origin to participate in public policy processes.

The DFD-INAFI workshop with support from Oxfam Novib drew positive responses from the participants. Sustainability of the migrants-driven initiative was the key issue brought up during the workshop.

Meeting with UN-EC JMDI Team

During the two events, Leila took the opportunities to meet several key people. She had meetings with the Philippine Government delegations, and informal talks with representatives from IFAD, UN-EC Joint Migration and Development Initiatives (UN-EC JMDI) where she serves as a member of the Advisory Board, Marianna Torres Blair, President of GFMD 2010, and Migration Policy Institute. She also joined DFD during the interface with the representatives of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs. At the forum, she linked up with other groups which advocate more visibility of migrant-driven co-development initiatives at the GFMD.

After the GFMD, Leila stayed for another week to visit various projects of the Federation of Zacatecans in Zacatecas located in the central highlands of Mexico, the birthplace of the tres por uno program. During her visit, she facilitated a meeting to open possibilities to set up a migrant-powered microfinance institution in Zacatecas with possible collaboration with Oxfam Mexico. Matt Rolland, a Fulbright scholar at the University of Zacatecas is prepared to write a mapping study on the feasibility of the project which will form as a basis for further discussion.

Source: Info about GFMD are excerpts taken from GFMD 2010 website

Information Session: Netherlands

2010-11-22T12:02:00.000-08:00

Download Program Netherlands PDF

The Diaspora Forum for Development (DFD) in cooperation with Oxfam Novib (ON) and INAFI International will conduct an information session on migration and development project which aims at facilitating financial access for the families of migrants as well as reduce transaction costs of remittances.

The project, Harnessing the Potentials of Migration and Development: Linking Microfinance Institutions and Immigrant Associations is coordinated in partnership with the International Network of Alternative Financial Institutions (INAFI) and funded by the European Union.

As part of the preparatory phase in each target country, information and consultation meetings are scheduled with migrant organisations, MTOs, MFIs, and other actors enabling remittance transfer. In this light, DFD, INAFI International, and Oxfam Novib are happy to invite you to the Netherlands kick-off information meeting on:

Friday, 03 December 2010

18:00 – 21:00

The Hub Amsterdam (E-motive)

Westerstraat 187, Amsterdam

For more information

Vincent Gambrah

Email: gambrahv@afroeuro.org / Tel: 06 1812 6917

Grace Cabactulan

Email: g.cabactulan@d-f-d.org / Tel: 06 2255 8312

More information about DFD and Oxfam Novib, visit: www.d-f-d.org / www.oxfamnovib.nl

www.inafi.org

EUROPEAN MIGRANT TOUR: 26 November 2010

2010-11-22T09:08:00.000-08:00

Dowload Program PDF

LIEU : Centre culturel ELZENHOF, Avenue de la Couronne 12, 1050 Bruxelles

RENFORCEMENT DES POTENTIELS DE LA MIGRATION POUR LE

DEVELOPPEMENT PAR LA LIAISON ENTRE LES INSTITUTIONS DE

MICRO-FINANCE & LES ASSOCIATIONS ISSUES DE LA MIGRATION

PROGRAMME

14H00 - 14H10 : Discours d'ouverture de la rencontre par le Président de CGMD, Mr Pape SENE.

14H10 – 14H30 : Introduction du projet par la Directrice Exécutive d'INAFI International, Mme Soukeyna NDIAYE BA

14H30 – 15H00 : Présentation des activités du projet UE INAFI Remittances & du compte Epargne Migrant par le Project Leader Oxfam Novib, Mr Jean POUIT

15H00 – 15H15 : Pause café

15H15 – 15H30 : Présentation des premiers résultats de l'étude de l'Universite de Maastricht par la Project Manager, Oxfam Novib, Mme Daniela RUSSO

15H30 – 15H45 : Présentation de la formation gratuite pour 120 migrants par la Project Manager, Oxfam Novib - Mme Daniela RUSSO

15H45 – 16H25 : Débat

16H25 – 17H00 : Repas

Modérateur : Wamu Oyatambwe, CGMD

Rapporteur : Arthur Yenga, CGMD

Assistants : Consuelo Perez, CGMD

: Ullah Raheel, CGMD

Ethiopia's Amhara Credit and Savings Institution (ACSI) won the Microfinance Institution of the Year Award.

2010-11-20T13:39:00.000-08:00

INAFI International congratulates ACSI for winning Microfinance Institution of the Year Award.

010 African Banker Awards winners announced

WASHINGTON, DC: The Moroccan bank Attijariwafa took home African Bank of the Year, and the Best Local Bank in Africa award went to Banque Internationale Arabe Tunise (BIAT) at the 2010 African Banker Awards. The winners were announced at a gala dinner and awards ceremony at the Willard Intercontinental Hotel in Washington, DC on Friday, 8 October 2010.

click to enlarge

East Africa's Dr. James Mwangi, MD and CEO of Kenya's Equity Bank picked up the African Banker of the Year award. He was cited for revolutionising Kenya's banking industry, pioneering the first mobile banking technology in the world to reach out to the unbanked, and for championing the empowerment of ordinary people through inclusive finance.

Syda Bbumba, minister of finance, Planning and Economic Development of Uganda was awarded Minister of Finance of the Year, for reducing inflation and instituting sound fiscal and monetary policies which have contributed to a growing economy.

Ethiopia's Amhara Credit and Savings Institution (ACSI) won the Microfinance Institution of the Year Award. Nigeria's Access Bank and Stanbic IBTC won the Socially Responsible Bank of the Year and Best Issuing House awards respectively.

New call for Innovation grants

2010-11-20T13:32:00.000-08:00

New call for Innovation grants

The Facility has issued a new call for proposals for its innovation grants programme. Sponsored by the Z Zurich Foundation, the focus of this round is on 'scale and efficiency'. The Facility seeks to promote microinsurance projects that utilize technology and process innovations to increase operational efficiency to protect large numbers of low-income households. Check Round 5 guidelines and application form - (pdf 1,69 MB) or go to theonline application. Deadline to apply is January 25, 2011.

ILO’s New Call for Innovation Grants

BY FUNDSFORNGOS, ON NOVEMBER 11TH, 2010

The Microinsurance Innovation Facility housed at the International Labour Organization’s (ILO) Social Finance Programme has launched a new call for proposals under the new Round 5 of its innovation grants programme.

Under this application window, the Facility expects to support three to five large grants, between US$100,000 and US$500,000, and four or five small grants (less than US$100,000).

The Facility seeks to promote microinsurance projects that utilize technology and process innovations to increase operational efficiency to protect large numbers of low-income households. The present call is sponsored by the Z Zurich Foundation and it has a focus on ‘scale and efficiency.’

In Round 5, applicants that propose to use technology and other innovation to create operational efficiencies and/or allow organizations to server large number of poor households will be selected. The focus is not just technology, but also on process chances that can help in the efficient scaling up of operations. We are interested in the entire gamut of operations ranging from the client interface at the front end, to the processing of applications, claims and renewals at the back end, and mechanisms that hold the supply chain together.

The Facility prefers to support efforts to expand, improve or build on existing microinsurance programmes.

Applications have to be submitted online through the ILO website. The deadline for submission is 25 January 2011. For more information, visit this link.

Read more

Source Link: http://www.fundsforngos.org/latest-funds-for-ngos/ilos-call-innovation-grants#ixzz15rPoJCRa
Copyright©FUNDSFORNGOS.ORG. Do not remove this link.
Under Creative Commons License: Attribution

Statement by Alex Counts, Grameen Foundation President and CEO, about the Microfinance Sector in India

2010-11-20T05:27:00.000-08:00

Recent reporting about the activities of for-profit microfinance institutions (MFIs) in India, specifically in the state of Andhra Pradesh, has raised important questions about whether microfinance is delivering on its promise to empower poor people. We take the concerns raised extremely seriously and are following developments on a day-to-day basis through our India-based team.

Though Grameen Foundation is not currently working with any of the MFIs that have been caught up in the allegations in Andhra Pradesh (our efforts in India are currently focused on the least-served states, in the north and east of the country), we have worked with and observed the Indian microfinance sector for more than a decade. We have seen its many challenges, as well as the hard work of MFIs and others to improve accountability and service to borrowers. Grameen Foundation strongly believes that MFIs must measure their social performance as rigorously as they measure financial performance – in other words, they must demonstrate that they are reaching the poor and poorest, and that these borrowers are moving out of poverty over time. Read more

JOB VACANCY: Webmaster Joomla bilingue INAFI Dakar (CLOSED)

2010-11-11T03:00:00.000-08:00

Détail du poste

APPLICATION IS NOW CLOSED

Webmaster Joomla bilingue INAFI Dakar

INAFI International - Dakar

Date de clôture : 12 déc 2010

Lieu :
Sénégal

Description du poste :

Dans le cadre de son projet "Mobiliser les potentiels de la migration pour le développement en liant les institutions Microfinance et les associations de migrants" financé par l'Union Européenne en partenariat avec Oxfam Novib, INAFI International recherche un consultant Webmaster Joomla bilingue sur une durée de 14 mois à son siège de Dakar.

Dossier d'appel d'offres Union Européenne (en anglais) accessible ici

Date limite: 12 décembre 2010

Responsabilités :

Webmaster du site INAFI.org

Gestionnaire de la base des migrants et des parties prenantes du projet

Création et modération de fonctions communautaires pour les migrants

Support informatique pour INAFI International et ses affiliés concernant les activités du projet

Compétences/qualifications/expérience :

Bilingue Français-Anglais

Expert en Joomla (gestionnaire de contenu Open Source)

Bonne compréhension des standards du développement Web comme HTML, PHP, XML, Javascript, CSS, .NET, C# and Visual Studio.

Experience dans le design de sites Web

Contact :
Daniela RUSSO
E-mail:
Daniela.Russo@oxfamnovib.nl

INAFI International - Dakar
c/o Oxfam Novib, Mauritskade 9
BP 30919
The Hague 2500 GX
tel. +3170 3421 862
fax: +3170 3614 461
Pays Bas

LAPO adopts client protection principles

2010-11-05T22:31:00.000-07:00

Lift Above Poverty, Microfinance Bank Ltd has adopted and embedded the six principles of client protection into her core business operations.

Godwin Ehigiamusoe, Managing Director, said the six principles are part of the microfinance-industry initiative to ensure that low-income clients of microfinance are adequately protected against exploitation and un-ethical practices.

The six principles are Avoidance of Over-Indebtedness, Transparent and Responsible Pricing, Appropriate Collections Practices, Ethical Staff Behaviour, Mechanisms for Redress of Grievances and Privacy of Client Data.

He noted that LAPO has taken steps to realize the objectives of these principles. These steps according to him include the strengthening of LAPO’s Client Relationship Unit, substantial reduction in interest rates and charges and relevant training for credit staff.

Source

TOP 100 MICROFINANCE INSTITUTIONS IN SOUTH AMERICA

2010-10-26T06:18:00.000-07:00

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.

---------

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

2010-10-19T21:41:00.000-07:00

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

2010-10-19T21:39:00.000-07:00

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.
Read more

INAFI and Oxfam Novib launch project linking microfinance institutions and immigrant associations in Geneva

2010-10-14T16:29:00.000-07:00

Note: If you experience problem in downloading, please refresh your browsers.

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

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

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

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

-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)

-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)

-Questions débat

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

2010-10-06T17:37:00.000-07:00

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

2010-10-06T17:12:00.000-07:00

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

2010-10-06T16:39:00.000-07:00

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

2010-10-06T16:23:00.000-07:00

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

From the CEO of Small and Microenterprise Program SMEP (Kenya)

2010-09-08T07:25:00.000-07:00

I am happy to inform you that SMEP has entered a new dawn in the following areas:-

a) Transformation into a DTM on 25th August, 2010 SMEP was issued with a letter of Intent by CBK, which is an approval in principle to conduct Nationwide Deposit Taking Microfinance Business. This letter takes SMEP a step closer, towards becoming a licensed Deposit Taking Microfinance institution. Currently we have a Nationwide Network with 32branches/satellites with over 70,000 customers , and Kshs 1billion outstanding portfolio. SMEP is working towards fulfilling the final phase of the requirements as set out by CBK.

b) Governance- New Chairman- Mr. Gabriel Kivuti takes over the leadership from Mr Joseph Muriu who has spearheaded the institution since inception. Mr Kivuti has a wealth of experience in both Microfinance and Banking- having worked with Standard Chartered bank, been a board member of various institutions including Micro Finance Institutions. He has been and is still a practicing consultant in microfinance and banking. Currently consulting for world bank.

c) Management Information system Upgrade T 24 Emerge

We are delighted to announce that through financial support from Triple Jump Advisory Services, STRAJ T24 Consultants together with our ICT team have successfully upgraded our ICT system from Release RO5 WINDOWS Platform TO Release R08 LINUX / WEB BROWSER Platform. We are indeed grateful for the support given by Triple Jump.

To cater for the new dawn, SMEP has embarked on various reforms. These include but are not limited to construction of new state of art banking halls in Mombasa, Nairobi, Nakuru, Mwea, Maua and Kisumu amongst others, increasing its visibility through branding, reviewed agriculture products , and other products to provide a supermarket of products for our customers, training staff and upgrading the Company’s MIS to also consolidate both portfolio and finance.

We are looking forward to your continued support, financially or otherwise to enable us reposition SMEP be the preferred and model provider of high quality financial and non-financial services in Kenya in order to alleviate poverty and enhance a strong and equitable economy.

We sincerely thank you all for making SMEP what it is!!

God richly bless .

Mrs. Phylis I.Mbungu

Chief Executive Officer

---------------------------------------------------

Small & Micro Enterprise Programme

Kirichwa Rd off Argwings Kodhek Rd

P.O Box 64063 - 00620

NAIROBI.

Tel+254/020-2055761,020-2673327/8, 0711807040

E-Mail: ceo@smep.co.ke/info@smep.co.ke

www.smep.co.ke

Gabriel Kivuti

Chairman, SMEP

+254722361133

E-mail: gabrielkivuti@yahoo.com

NEWS FROM Lift Above Poverty Organisation (LAPO Nigeria)

2010-09-08T07:09:00.000-07:00

After years of growth LAPO has entered a phase of consolidation in 2009. This consisted of series of actions towards transformation into a regulated nation-wide microfinance institution and strengthening of our service delivery structures and systems. This had become necessary in order to address emerging issues and concerns in the international microfinance community and at the same time take advantage of current developments in the Nigerian microfinance market. Expectedly there have been obvious challenges but your support and understanding have been helpful in addressing them.

LAPO with its strong service delivery structures and systems; responsive products and services and expertise in micro-lending remains outstanding and acknowledged in the local microfinance market

Periodically, we shall use this e-newsletter to update our partners on significant developments in LAPO.

Central Bank of Nigeria Approves LAPO Microfinance Bank

The Central Bank of Nigeria has given approval to the application of LAPO Microfinance Bank Limited. With this LAPO comes under the regulation of the bank. The approval marks a significant development in the life of our institution and in addressing the issue of savings mobilization. With the approval by CBN, LAPO Microfinance bank now has a new board of 7 members and the CEO. Two of the seven seats are reserved for future investors and partners. Dr. Philip Osarenren Emokpae (economist; monetary policy, management and marketing) the former chairman of LAPO now chairs the new board.

New CFO JOINS LAPO

A new Chief Financial Officer has joined LAPO. He is Dr. Kamakhya Narain Singh. Dr. Singh holds an MBA (finance and strategy) and a PhD (Strategic management of MFIs and their role in sustainable development) from Oxford University UK and the Banaras Hindu University, India, respectively. He is a member of the Indian Institute of Chartered Financial Analysts (CFA) and the Indian Institute of Banking and Finance. Prior to this appointment, Dr. Singh was a microfinance specialist with the Asian Development Bank, and has more than 15 years of professional experience in the MF and SME sector in Europe, Asia and Africa. He resumed on May 3.

International Auditing Firm Preparing 2009 figures

After intensive discussion with our short list of international auditing firms based in Lagos on contents and fees we have now signed an agreement with Deloitte. Their auditors are starting with immediate effect to prepare the 2009 auditing report. It is expected to have the approved and authorized report by August/ September ready to be forwarded to our partners.

German Bank Manager as Volunteer

A German banker Barbara Hagelschuer from the “Sparkassen Gruppe” (largest banking organization in Germany) will be in LAPO in the next four months. She will be involved in internal operational and financial system strengthening components of the transformation process.

Consultant to support the Change Process

LAPO is closely working with a management coach and consultant Bernhard Vester. He is involved in consulting on change management, strategy and organizational development.

Strategic Functions Are Now Operating From Lagos

An annex of LAPO’s Head Office has been established in Lagos. Strategic functions such as finance, credit relationship management are carried out in the Lagos office. The office in the Lagos a commercial nerve center of West Africa will facilitate interface with our partners, regulators and other collaborators. The office is located at 65, Kudirat Abiola Way, Oregun, Ikeja.

Interest Rates And Charges Reviewed

In addition to the reduction in interest rate in October 2009, LAPO has again reviewed its charges. Registration fee and loan application fee of N500 and N200 respectively have been removed. There is training and loan processing fee of 1%. Insurance cover will now be provided at a premium of .6%. These changes take effect in June 2010. It is expected that as a regulated microfinance bank with easy access to public savings, LAPO will be able to offer lower rates on its facilities in the near future.

Volume of Operations is in the Increase

Monthly disbursement rose from N500 million in January to N1.5billion in April. January to April disbursement is N5.2 billion. This represent 30% increase over the figure of N4 billion for the same period of 2009. The N21billion for the year is realizable.

INSURANCE COVER FOR LAPO CLIENTS

LAPO has launched an insurance scheme for her clients. This is in collaboration with GoldLink Insurance a major insurance company in Nigeria. Cover provided includes life, fire in market place and medical (hospitalization only). The premium rate is .6% of loan amount.

Improvements in our Data Processing

The migration of our existing software M2 to the more robust software FOCUS by the Fern company in North Ireland was successfully activated. This will not only lead to more reliable data but will also help reduce workload on branch level.

Publisher: Godwin Ehigiamusoe, CEO of LAPO

INAFI Africa Trust conducts training of Trainers for Branch Managers

2010-09-07T03:47:00.000-07:00

INAFI Africa recently conducted training for trainers (TOT) for branch managers of member organizations. The first training was conducted in Lusaka, Zambia last July 12-14 and in Dakar, Senegal last August 16-18.

In total, 34 enthusiastic and dedicated branch managers attended the TOT course both in Dakar and Lusaka. The participants were particularly pleased with the training level especially the very resourceful facilitators who have vast experience in the field of Microfinance as practitioners. However, the participants preferred the training to have been at least five days instead of the three days.

The tool kit has been designed to provide MFI branch managers and operation staff with the relevant knowledge, skills and values on how best to support operations and other support staff in order to enhance their productivity, maintain high portfolio quality and lead to branch profitability and growth. This has been developed both as an orientation and in-service guide for branch managers of Member Microfinance Institutions affiliated to International Network of Alternative Institutions (INAFI) Africa.

The specific objectives of the training was to: provide branch managers with relevant skills and knowledge required to perform the general management of the branch and field offices; to enable branch managers play the crucial role of marketing of the institution existing and new products and services, to build their capacity in the area of risk management and to manage quality portfolio and growth through prudent portfolio management skills.

The tool kit was presented in a systematic format that outlined clear training process. Mrs. Rose Mwaniki, who also helped in developing the training module the training for the English speaking members, facilitated the training in Lusaka. Meanwhile the training for French speaking members was conducted and delivered in Dakar led by the main facilitator, Mr. Adama Thiam, who also helped in developing the French training module.

The training was largely based on a participatory training approach, which allowed the participants share experiences from their respective institutions. To further enhance participation of the entire team, the learning was conducted through small working groups. This enabled the participants discuss issues together and develop new skills and knowledge through teamwork.

INAFI has developed other modules/courses relevant to microfinance sector namely; Credit Officer Course, Financial Ratio Analysis and Interpretation Course, Strategic Business Planning Course, Governance and Leadership Course, Key Performance Indicators in Microinsurance. These courses are available upon request.

INAFI Africa wishes to thank all the organizations that showed interest and subsequently sent their staff for the training program. It is through emphasis of on continuous financial education that we anticipate improved productivity and performance of the staff as a result improving the Institution bottom-line.

ABOUT THE TRAINING

It is not without mentioning the branch managers of MFIs play a significant role in the success or failure of their respective institutions. They are in-charge of the overall supervision of staff within the branch; they manage operations and other important assets of MFI. In a sense, they are in-charge of the nerve center of the organization.

One of the key pillars of profitable and growing MFIs is the quality of supervision provided to the frontline staff. A stringent supervisory process does boost staff morale especially where the performance indicators are clearly articulated and understood across the institution.

The branch managers can only be able to provide relevant support to the field staff if they themselves are able to internalize and appropriately apply operations and institutional policies and procedures effectively. In other words, they must be well versed with their job requirements and continually be on top of things to be able to support those that they supervise. This is the main reason why INAFI considers this toolkit as an important contribution to both its Members’ human resources management and the sector in general.1

1 Source: B. Gray et al., “Can Financial Education Change Behavior?: Lessons from Bolivia and Sri Lanka,” Working Paper 4 (Microfinance Opportunities: Washington, D.C.: 2010).

Nigeria's microfinance policy review underway

2010-09-04T14:57:00.000-07:00

Nigeria's microfinance sector has failed to make the expected impact on the economy due to misconception by the operators, but this will soon change.

Lamido Sanusi, the Central Bank governor, said the bank will come up with a reviewed policy framework in order to make it more effective.

Akintunde Sowunmi, deputy director, development finance, who represented Mr. Sanusi at a conference organised by Credit Awareness yesterday in Lagos said less than three percent of the rural population of Nigeria have access to microfinance services.

Mr. Sowunmi said one of the challenges is to create awareness about credit acquisition in order to make more people interested in accessing it.

"Despite the importance and benefits of credit, there are socio-economic barriers inhibiting access to financial services such as education, gender, age, irregular income, poor infrastructure, and even geographical location," he said.
Read more

Hints of the Subprime in New Microcredit

2010-09-04T14:54:00.000-07:00

Enthusiasm for microfinance has surged since Professor Muhammad Yunus and his Grameen Bank shared the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006.

This November, APEC finance ministers will be asked to adopt an initiative on “financial inclusion” when they meet in Kyoto.

Unfortunately, this coincides with a wave of financialization of micro-lending, a phenomenon Yunus deplores. Read more

FDEA launches new website

2010-09-04T13:43:00.000-07:00

Femme Développement Entreprise en Afrique (FDEA) or Women's Business Development in Africa is a Senegalese non-governmental organization, non-profit organization founded in 1987 and a member of INAFI International just launched its new website.

FDEA’s mission is to create an institutional framework adapted to the needs, technical capabilities, and socio-economic realities of women entrepreneurs. FDEA provides African women with a credit system of training, coaching and consulting in the field of micro, small and medium business. In Senegal, FDEA works in 6 regions: Dakar, Louga, Kaolack, Dourbel, St. Louis, Tambacounda and Bakel. The headquarters is in Dakar, with a regional office in Kaolack. FDEA works closely with other African NGOs: Cooperative for Education of Women, Family Health and Sanitation in Mali, Relief Society of Tigray in Ethiopia, NGO Coordination mutilation in Guinea, and the network of the Caisses Populaires Burkina. FDEA is affiliated with Conseil des ONG D’Appui au Developpement (CONGAD) Senegal.

FDEA has 20 branches located in eight regions of Senegal and has approximately Euro 27.5 million cumulative credit portfolio. Outstanding savings accumulated as of 31 December 2009 is Euro 1.967,244,267 while outstanding loan for the same period is Euro 2,051,195. FDEA is serving more than 200,000 clients and processes more than 5,000 credit records per year, of which 80% are for young women entrepreneurs from different categories.

INAFI congratulates FDEA!

SEDPI CEO TO PRESENT MICROFINANCE PAPER IN UK

2010-09-01T09:41:00.000-07:00

Mr. Edwin Salonga is one of the nine (9) selected speakers at the international conference on Global Partnerships in Microfinance. The conference is organized by the University of Greenwich, in collaboration with the University of Birmingham and Burgundy School of Business. Mr. Salonga is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Social Enterprise Development Partnerships, Inc. (SEDPI) and a concurrent lecturer at the Ateneo de Manila University’s Development Studies Program.

The conference will be held on 6-7 September 2010 at the University of Greenwich in London. The event will be graced by Her Royal Highness Princess Máxima of the Netherlands as a guest speaker. The conference intends to look at all potential partnerships in microfinance and to discuss their accomplishments in meeting the microfinance goals. The conference will focus on the following topics a) Strategic Partnerships; b) Enhance New Partnerships; c) The Role of Institutions Involved; d) Collaborative Relations; and e) Global versus Local Partnerships.

The paper of Mr. Salonga is entitled “Fund Guarantees with Clear Exit Strategy: Donors Building the Confidence of Commercial Banks in Funding Microfinance Institutions.” It delves on how the partnership of international donor agencies and commercial banks may support the operations of microfinance institutions (MFIs). One of the major challenges of MFIs is access to commercial funds to increase their loan portfolio, which in turn will be utilized to carry out their mission to reach out to more poor people. However, commercial banks view microfinance as a risky investment due to the traditional banking approach they are more familiar with. It is in this context that international donors at present establish partnerships with commercial banks to build the confidence of the latter on microfinance through a risk-sharing mechanism by virtue of fund guarantees. It is through this scheme that a portion of the funds released by commercial banks to MFIs is guaranteed by the donors. In case that the MFIs fail to pay off their loans to the commercial banks, the respective donors would cover such payments. The challenge however for the donors is to map out a clear exit strategy, in terms of timeframe or milestones, that the MFIs need to observe as this guarantee scheme is a financial intervention that will have to be discontinued over time.

To learn more about the conference, click here.

SEDPI is a member of INAFI Philippines

Workshops for Global Microcredit Summit 2011 announced

2010-08-27T17:17:00.000-07:00

Microfinance Focus, Aug 23, 2010: Global Microfinance Summit which brings together microcredit practitioners, advocates, donor agencies, international financial institutions and others involved with microcredit to promote best practices will be held in Spain from November 14-17, 2011 in Valladolid, Spain.

The Summit’s goal is to ensure that 175 million of the world’s poorest families, especially women of those families, are receiving credit for self-employment and other financial and business services and to help 100 million families rise above the US $1 per day threshold by 2015. Read more

MFIs tap technology as the bridge to reach unbanked millions

2010-08-01T07:58:00.000-07:00

Kenyan microfinance institutions have for a long time served the unbanked segments of the population despite several obstacles in their quest to access this niche.

It is estimated that micro-enterprises contribute about 18 per cent of Kenya’s gross domestic product and 25 per cent of non-agricultural GDP.

It is thus not surprising that many MFI’s have taken to using technology, especially mobile phone platforms, to cut on high operational costs and reliance on commercial banks while increasing focus on core functions.

Early this year, during the opening of the Africa-Middle East Regional Micro-Credit Summit in Nairobi, President Mwai Kibaki affirmed the central role micro-finance plays in national development by striving to address the challenge of providing financial services. Read more

JOB VACANCY (Application closed)

2010-07-08T17:23:00.000-07:00

Oxfam Novib in partnership with INAFI International is looking for a Project leader who, together with us and many others, wants to work towards creating a just world without poverty.

Around the world people are fighting for their right to a decent livelihood. Oxfam Novib supports them in this. We support projects, strengthen local organizations and campaign for just policies. We do so locally and internationally because poverty and injustice are global problems and are related to unjust economic and political relationships. That is why we work together with Oxfam International.

Project leader for the remittances & development project
36 hours a week, located in The Hague
The contract will be for one (1) year, with the possibility for extension till the end of the project, June, 30th 2012

The remittances and development project, which is implemented in partnership with INAFI International, is an EU-funded project and has multiple objectives. First, the project seeks to contribute to improve the capacity of migrant organizations in 10 different EU countries so they are able to deliver a larger contribution to the economic development in their country of origin. Secondly, the project will train Micro Finance Institutions (MFIs) to transfer remittances from migrants safer and cheaper to the country of origin.
A more specific objective of the project is to create a trans-national program that will train 10 microfinance organizations from 10 different sub-Saharan countries in the development of a global remittance system and that supports the collaboration between the MFIs and migrant organizations from 10 EU countries.

Main tasks and responsibilities

- You will ensure the achievement of agreed outcomes and targets. You will achieve this by monitoring the progress and quality of the project, identifying problems, opportunities and exceptions, and you will think of solutions, you are accountable for the budget and you report to the Manager of Special Projects and the Steering Committee
- You manage the project team (functional): you plan the tasks and activities for the project group.
- You will develop, in cooperation with the project staff, realistic work plans. You are responsible for the quality, timeliness and efficiency of the work of the team. You are also responsible for the knowledge and the synergy between the (temporarily assigned) employees and the project;
- You are responsible for monitoring and reporting: you monitor the substantive and financial progress and reporting to the EC according to their requirements, coordinate the production of financial reports and audits;
- You coordinate the meetings of the Steering Committee (organize and prepare for the semi-annual meetings);
- You coordinate the required input from other parties involved such as ON (regional) departments, partner organizations and other stakeholders;
- You will ensure good communication within the project team, with partner organisations, the project beneficiaries and other stakeholders;
- You identify the project risks and control them by taking action and close and regular monitoring.

Required skills and competences
- You have a proven academic level in your previous and current work environment;
- You can demonstrate 3-5 years experience in managing complex international projects. Preferably you also have experience and knowledge of procedures regarding EC-grants;
- You have proven knowledge of microfinance and remittances (including mechanisms, trends and developments, contacts, etc.);
- You have good communication skills and are able to work in and with a team;
- You are result oriented and decisive;
- You are fluent in both English and French.

What do we offer?
For this function we offer a gross salary of a minimum of € 2,828 and a maximum of € 4395 per month on the basis of a 36-hour working week.

Application procedure
Are you interested? Send your application before July 14th, 2010 in writing including a motivation and curriculum vitae and mentioning reference number 5-5964 to jobs@oxfamnovib.nl address to Elvira Hautvast, HR Consultant. To obtain further information about the job please contact Janny Bosscher, manager Special Projects 070-3421 718

Applicants must be Nationals of a European Union member State or have a valid work permit for the European Union.
Acquisition due to this advertisement will not be appreciated
An assessment can be part of the recruitment process

G20 Identifies nine principles for innovative financial inclusion, action plan expected in November

2010-07-05T06:28:00.000-07:00

The G20 Leadership Summit in Toronto this past weekend highlighted the importance of the work being done by the G20’s Financial Inclusion Experts Group (FIEG). The group released nine “Principles for Innovative Financial Inclusion” formed through the efforts of the Access through Innovation Sub-Group (ATISG). “We have developed a set of principles for innovative financial inclusion, which will form the basis of a concrete and pragmatic action plan for improving access to financial services amongst the poor. This action plan will be released at the Seoul Summit,” the Toronto declaration said. Read more

MFTransparency and Luxembourg Development Cooperation launch Transparent Pricing Initiative in West Africa

2010-07-05T06:14:00.000-07:00

LANCASTER, PA, July 1st, 2010 — MicroFinance Transparency (MFTransparency) and Luxembourg Development Cooperation have partnered to expand the Transparent Pricing Initiative to West Africa. MFTransparency will begin to implement the Initiative in July to promote pricing transparency and consumer protection throughout the region.

Two workshops in Dakar, Sénégal and Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso on July 6 and July 9, respectively, will train industry professionals on issues related to pricing transparency and mark the launch of the Transparent Pricing Initiative in the first two countries of the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU). Strategic implementation partners in this effort are MFTransparency’s regional partner INAFI (International Network of Alternative Financial Institutions) and local microfinance networks. In Senegal, MFTransparency collaborates with DMF (Direction of the Microfinance) and AP/SFD-Sénégal (Association Professionnelle des Systèmes Financiers Décentralisés). In Burkina Faso, MFTransparency works with APIM-BF (Association des Systèmes Professionnels des Institutions de la Microfinance au Burkina Faso) to implement the Initiative. Read more

Sub-Saharan Africans Bank on Family for Business Loans

2010-07-01T14:15:00.000-07:00

Washington, DC, June, 11 2010 - Sub-Saharan Africans would most likely turn to their families if they needed money to start a business, according to Gallup surveys of 18 countries in the region.

Forty-two percent of respondents spontaneously named "family" as their primary source for funds, while banks (16%) and friends (15%) were a distant second. Despite the emphasis on microfinance in recent years in sub-Saharan Africa, 4% mentioned these institutions. Read more

MFTransparency et Lux-Development Lance l’Initiative sur la Transparence des Prix en Afrique de l’Ouest

2010-06-28T17:42:00.001-07:00

Press Release in English will be announced later.

MFTransparency et Lux-Development Lance l’Initiative sur la Transparence des Prix en Afrique de l’Ouest

LANCASTER, PA, 24 Juin 2010 — Ensemble MicroFinance Transparency (MFTransparency) et Lux-Development ont mis en place un partenariat pour étendre l’Initiative sur la Transparence des Prix en Afrique de l’Ouest. Ce projet doit contribuer à l’instauration d’un environnement propice à la transparence et à la protection des consommateurs dans toute la région.

A cet effet, deux ateliers de formation sont prévus le 06 juillet 2010 à Dakar, au Sénégal et le 09 juillet 2010 à Ouagadougou, au Burkina Faso. Ces travaux ont pour objectifs de former les professionnels de l'industrie sur les questions liées à la transparence des prix dans les pays de l'Union Economique et Monétaire de l’Afrique de l’Ouest (UEMOA).

Les partenaires de la mise en œuvre stratégique de ce projet sont le Réseau International des Institutions Financières Alternatives (INAFI International), partenaire régional de MFTransparency et les réseaux locaux de microfinance. Au Sénégal, MFTransparency travaille avec la Direction de la Microfinance (DMF), l’Association Professionnelle des Systèmes Financiers Décentralisés, (AP/SFD-Senegal). Au Burkina Faso, MFTransparency collabore avec l’Association Professionnelle des Institutions de Microfinance au Burkina Faso (APIM-BF).

Les ateliers du Sénégal et du Burkina Faso marqueront le lancement officiel du démarrage des activités de MFTransparency sur la Transparence des Prix dans huit pays de l'Afrique de l'Ouest: Sénégal, Burkina Faso, Bénin, Côte d'Ivoire, Togo, Guinée-Bissau, Mali et Niger. Ces pays ont été sélectionnés pour leur dynamisme dans le secteur de la microfinance, ainsi que pour leur appartenance à L’Union Economique et Monétaire de l'Afrique de l'Ouest Africaine (UEMOA). As the industry leader in microfinance pricing methodology and transparency, MF Transparency will facilitate the process of information sharing and cross-learning related to microfinance pricing and consumer protection in these eight countries.En tant que leader dans la méthodologie de tarification et la transparence des prix en microfinance, la formation de MFTransparency portera essentiellement sur : Les coûts, la tarification des produits de microcrédit, les prix de collecte de données, la publication, le développement et la diffusion de matériel éducatif.

Ce projet est basé sur une valeur fondamentale qui est la protection des consommateurs en leur permettant de prendre des décisions éclairées. It also facilitates the functioning of healthy free markets in which fair competition is possible and artificially high profit-seeking rates are exposed.Il facilite également le bon fonctionnement d’un marché libre propice à une concurrence loyale dans lequel les taux artificiellement élevés à but purement lucratif seront exposés. MFTransparency met l'accent sur la formation et l'éducation de tous les acteurs afin de créer un environnement dans lequel la transparence conduit au renforcement du secteur de la microfinance locale. Through the Transparent Pricing Initiative in West Africa , MF Transparency seeks to further sustainable microfinance and expand access to microloans for the poor.A travers l’Initiative sur la Transparence des Prix en Afrique de l'Ouest, MFTransparency cherche à promouvoir la microfinance de manière durable et à accroître l'accès des populations à faible revenus aux microcrédits.

A Propos de MFTransparency

MicroFinance Transparency est une Organisation Internationale non Gouvernementale (O.N.G.) fondée en 2008. Elle a pour but de faciliter la transparence des marchés grâce à la diffusion d'information sur le coût véritable de tous les intervenants du marché. MFTransparency représente une industrie avec des pratiques équitables et responsables. Basé aux Etats-Unis, le groupe a organisé des travaux sur la transparente des prix en Bosnie, au Pérou, au Cambodge, en Azerbaïdjan, au Kenya, au Bangladesh, en Équateur, en Bolivie et en Inde. Pour plus d’information veuillez-s’il vous plait visiter notre site web www.mftransparency.org . Dr. Mohammad Yunus de Grammeen Banque et Elizabeth Littlefield, précédemment Directeur Général du CGAP, et plus de 400 professionnels et organisations se sont engagés à la tarification transparente en approuvant MFTransparency et son initiative.

A propos de Lux Development:

Lux-Development est l'Agence luxembourgeoise pour la Coopération au Développement. L'Agence se concentre principalement sur les dix pays partenaires privilégiés de la coopération luxembourgeoise dont la liste est définie par le gouvernement du Luxembourg et dont le choix est primordialement orienté par la faiblesse de l'indice composite sur le développement humain (IDH). Inspirée par les objectifs du millénaire pour le développement (OMD), la coopération luxembourgeoise cible principalement trois secteurs clés : la santé-éducation, la formation-insertion professionnelle et le développement local intégré qui inclut différents volets, tels que l'eau, l'assainissement, la décentralisation et la micro finance.

Pour les questions relatives à ce communiqué de presse veuillez-s’il vous plaît contacter:

Fatima Kourouma
MFTransparency
fatima@mftransparency.org

MFTransparency Launches Pricing Initiative in Senegal

2010-06-28T17:27:00.000-07:00

On July 6^th, 2010, MFTransparency will host a workshop and cocktail reception to celebrate the launch of the Transparent Pricing Initiative in Senegal. The workshop will be held at Pullman Teranga Hotel in Dakar from 9:00am – 1:30pm. This event has been coordinated in conjunction with Luxembourg Cooperation, INAFI International, DMF (Direction de la Microfinance) and APSFD (Association Professionelle des Systèmes Financiers Décentralisés).

MFTransparency works with MFIs, Central Banks, and investors to bring pricing transparency to the microfinance industry. Senegal is the first country in West African to be selected for MFTransparency‘s Transparent Pricing Initiative. In this workshop we will share with all MFIs the new industry standard for calculating interest rates for microcredit products. We will also explain how each institution can actively participate in becoming a member of the MFTransparency project. As a member, MFIs will benefit directly from MFTransparency’s Senegal Market Data. This workshop is a wonderful opportunity to share experiences with peer institutions as well as learn from experiences of other institutions in other countries from around the world.

If you have not yet RSVP’d to the MFTransparency’s Transparent Pricing Workshop or if you have any further questions please contact Fatima Kourouma at fatima@mftransparency.org or contact AP/SFD-Senegal at apsfdsenegal@orange.sn

Africa Development Indicators 2010

2010-06-28T15:39:00.000-07:00

Silent and lethal: How quiet corruption undermines Africa’s development efforts

Africa Development Indicators 2010 provides the most detailed collection of data on Africa available in one volume. It contains more than 450 macroeconomic, sectoral, and social indicators, covering 53 African countries. Additional data may be found on the companion CD-ROM, covering about 1,600 indicators from 1961 to 2008.

Where a little bit goes a long way: microcredit loans to women in need

2010-06-27T14:05:00.000-07:00

Hasine Taçilik, a 44-year-old woman living in Yukarı Köseli village in the southeastern province of Diyarbakır, earns a living for her seven children through selling dairy products produced from a dairy cow that was purchased with a small loan.

“This lovely sorrel-colored cow brought joy, peace and happiness to our house,” she says.

Taçilik is, in fact, just one of thousands of indigent women whose lives were radically changed by obtaining as little as TL 100 up to TL 700 in credit from a micro lending institution. The money has to be repaid within 46 weeks in weekly or bi-weekly installments without interest but with a small service fee. Normally, these people are excluded from the formal financial system, as it is impossible for them to provide guarantees and the collateral demanded by commercial banks, in addition to coming up against social and gender barriers. But based solely on trust, the microfinance system has played a vital role in lifting the poor out of poverty throughout the world.
Read more

Why We Need Transparency?

2010-06-25T18:54:00.000-07:00

MFTransparency is a global initiative for fair and transparent pricing in the Microfinance industry. Our desire is to be the venue for the Microfinance industry to publicly demonstrate its commitment to pricing transparency, integrity and poverty alleviation. Our vision is a Microfinance industry operating with healthy free market conditions where consumers and other stakeholders can make informed decisions.

Endorse MFTransparency NOW:

check the powerpoint presentation

FCTA To Create Microfinance Institutions In All Council Areas

2010-06-25T18:26:00.000-07:00

ABUJA, June 24, (THEWILL) - The FCT Administration has concluded plans to create microfinance institutions in all the six Area Councils of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
The FCT Minister, Senator Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed stated this on Thursday at the occasion of the official passing-out of Batch ‘B’ 2009 members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) at the Old Parade Ground, Area 10, Garki I District, Abuja. Read more

The Millennium Development Goals Report 2010

2010-06-23T09:21:00.000-07:00

"An estimated 1.4 billion people were still living in extreme poverty in 2005. Moreover, the effects of the global fi nancial crisis are likely to persist: poverty rates will be slightly higher in 2015 and even beyond, to 2020, than they would have been had the world economy grown steadily at its pre-crisis pace." - MDGs Report 2010

Summit on the Millennium Development Goals
20-22 September 2010
With only five years left until the 2015 deadline to achieve the Millennium Development Goals, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has called on world leaders to attend a summit in New York on 20-22 September 2010 to accelerate progress towards the MDGs Visit the Summit website!

Creating a global private equity fund for the African microfinance

2010-06-23T05:29:00.000-07:00

A Regional Investment Fund for micro, small and medium enterprises in Sub-Saharan Africa (REGMIFA) was launched on 5th May 2010 in Berlin. Symbiotics Investment Manager SA, a Geneva-based management company specialized in microfinance, was selected to manage this new fund.

Created by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the development bank KFW, the REGMIFA will be given a budget of $ 150 million. The fund is meant to meet the financing needs of African financial intermediaries who provide loans to micro, small and medium enterprises in Africa. Read more

French version:

How Microfinance is Helping to End Poverty in Developing Countries

2010-06-23T05:20:00.000-07:00

Namono Lakeri lost her husband to AIDS in 1996. She expanded her business with a loan and now all her children attend school

FEDECREDITO: IFC Offers First Remittance-Secured Financing for El Salvador’s Microenterprise Sector

2010-06-22T02:07:00.000-07:00

San Salvador, El Salvador, June 16, 2010—IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, will provide up to $30 million of debt financing to Fedecredito using an innovative funding approach that leverages the significant remittances of El Salvadorans working abroad to increase lending to microentrepreneurs and low-income people in the country.

This will be the first funding backed by future remittance flows undertaken anywhere by a financial intermediary focused on low-income clients. Fedecredito is a cooperative owned by 55 El Salvadoran credit unions and workers banks that mobilize savings deposits from 600,000 low-income member owners, who represent close to one-quarter of El Salvador’s workforce. In addition to raising wholesale funding for these credit unions and workers banks, Fedecredito also processes remittances for them. Read more

About Fedecredito
Established over 60 years ago, Fedecredito is a cooperative owned by 55 El Salvadoran credit unions and workers banks located throughout the country. These entities mobilize savings from 600,000 individual member-owners. In turn, they profitably provide credit and other financial services/products to their individual member-owners and microenterprises. One of Fedecredito’s main functions is to complement deposit funding at these credit unions and workers banks to increase the amount of financing made available to their individual member-owners and microenterprises. For more information, visit: www.fedecredito.com.sv.

Top 200 MFPs worldwide

2010-06-22T01:53:00.000-07:00

The Center’s offerings are available to WWB network members and the top 200 MFPs worldwide who demonstrate excellence as measured by the Composite Ranking of The Microfinance Information Exchange (The MIX). The MIX ranking measures high outreach, low transaction costs, profitability and transparency. For more information on The MIX Composite Ranking, visit:www.mixmarket.org The MIX top 100 on PDF Center Eligibility List on PDF

Top 200 Microfinance Providers

CONGRATULATIONS to INAFI Member MFIs which are on the list of top MFI providers!

Events of 6 African wide MFInetworks

2010-06-20T07:45:00.000-07:00

This page lists all the events that the 6 African wide networks are organising throughout the coming months. The networks concerned are AFMIN, MAIN, INAFI, AFRACA, AMAF and AMT.

For more information regarding any of the listed events, please contact the related network directly.

Source
African Microfinance Transparency

For INAFI Africa, please contact: inafi@africaonline.co.ke

GRAMEEN Report: Measuring the Impact of Microfinance: Taking Another Look

2010-06-20T03:28:00.000-07:00

Grameen Foundation today released a new report that takes a fresh look at recent studies on microfinance’s effectiveness in alleviating poverty. Titled, Measuring the Impact of Microfinance: Taking Another Look, it notes that studies have shown that microfinance helps poor people better cope with financial shocks that often upend their lives. It also points out the difficulties in isolating microfinance’s impact from the myriad forces at play in poor people’s lives.
Written by Kathleen Odell, assistant professor of economics at Dominican University’s Brennan School of Business, Measuring the Impact of Microfinance: Taking Another Look is one of the most comprehensive reviews of microfinance impact studies that have been conducted since 2005. It updates a 2005 Grameen Foundation paper by Nathanael Goldberg (Measuring the Impact of Microfinance: Taking Stock of What We Know) which reviewed almost 100 studies which were conducted between 1970 and 2005.
Both reports are available below.

Measuring the Impact of Microfinance: Taking Another Look, Kathleen Odell (2010)

FEATURE: Small Premiums, Long Term Benefits: Why Poor Women Need Microinsurance

2010-06-20T03:08:00.000-07:00

Monica Kirunguru’s husband was an outgoing man, and a prominent member of his community. The couple lived together on a farm near Mount Kenya, where they worked hard to support their seven children and five grandchildren.

In August 2009, Monica’s husband was admitted to the hospital. One month later, he passed away.
Coping with the emotional shock that accompanies the death of a life partner can be staggeringly difficult. Coping with the financial shock at the same time, however, can make the situation seem unbearable. Typically, a Kenyan woman in Monica’s circumstances would have two options to cover the hospital and funeral expenses: take out a high-interest emergency loan, or approach friends and family for money. Read more

INAFI Executive Director Attends CONVERGENCES 2015 Forum and Microfinance Transprency Meeting

2010-06-09T01:02:00.000-07:00

Soukeyna Ndiaye Ba, INAFI International Executive Director was invited as a speaker in a panel discussion on “Which future for Microfinance in Africa” during the Convergences 2015 Forum. The meeting took place in Paris last May 25-26, 2010.
Ndiaye Ba based on her personal experience as former Minister of Decentralized Cooperation and regional planning, was also invited as speaker in other panel on “Decentralized Cooperation, local development, microfinance and private sector”. Aside from Ms Ndiyae Ba, Mr. James OBAMA, Managing Director of PRIDE TANZANIA, an INAFI member organization was also invited as speaker. Their participation in the conference not only increased the visibility of INAFI in the global setting but also affirmed that it is being recognized as key player in microfinance industry.

About 1100 experts from the sectors of social business, finance, civil society and new technologies attended the conference. Various thematic areas were also discussed in a workshop on “Microfinance today, Future of Microfinance and main constraints.”

Convergences 2015 Forum was organized by ACTED (Agency for Technical Cooperation and Development), Agence Française de Développement (AFD), Crédit Coopératif and Le Monde AS, a discussion forum aimed at bringing about new convergences between the private and public sectors and social business. Its objective is to contribute to setting up a sustainable development strategy for effectively reducing extreme poverty worldwide, as set out in the Millennium Development Goals in 2000.
Launched in 2008, Convergences 2015 has become an essential European meeting point for all development actors. Initially focused on microfinance, its scope was enlarged to the field of social business, to include a wide range of solutions for the reduction of extreme poverty.

After the Convergence Forum, Ms Ndiaye Ba also attended a meeting to discuss about Microfinance Transparency, a new United States non-profit organization which aims to publish the interest rates and other basic information about the lending practices of microfinance institutions (MFIs) worldwide. Supported by many throughout the world of microfinance, the founding of this new organization initiated by comes at a time of fierce debate over the role of commercial microfinance. MF Transparency was founded by Charles Waterfield, a professor at Columbia University. The idea was first announced at the Asia-Pacific Regional Microcredit Summit 2008.

Specifically, MF Transparency aims to 1) Adopt international standards on pricing.2) create of a system to be able to compare conditions for loans proposed to competing MFIs, 3) Prevent abusive MFIs from issuing high interest rates and promoting credit delusive offers. According to CGAP, MFTransparency addresses pricing transparency through two joint activities. First, MFTransparency will collect prices on all micro-loan products around the world and report those prices by a common, objective measurement system. Second, MFTransparency will develop and disseminate educational materials to enable microfinance stakeholders at a broad range of levels – analysts, donors and investors, MFI managers, microentrepreneurs themselves – to better understand the concept and function of interest rates and product pricing.

Jean Luc Perron, Managing Director of Grameen Credit Agricole Microfinance Foundation who facilitated meeting, proposed after this meeting to organize a workshop in Dakar in the coming months in partnership with MF Transparency. INAFI has been asked to facilitate the organization of this meeting which objective is to help a larger number of MFIs to understand better, and participate the global Campaign on MF transparency.

“MFTransparency will give INAFI the opportunity to be more involved in this campaign and to have the opportunity to introduce it to our members and to encourage them to be actively part of the campaign,” Ndiaye Ba said.

Photo of Hon.Soukeyna Ndiaye Ba was taken in Nairobi, April 2010.

Source information on MFTransparency:
http://www.microfinancegateway.org/p/site/m/template.rc/1.11.94902/

Africa-Middle East Microcredit Summit 2010, Nairobi

2010-05-14T11:15:00.001-07:00

From Microcredit Summit Campaign

Many people have asked for access to the PowerPoint presentations from the Africa-Middle East Summit that took place in Nairobi, Kenya this April. Well, now they're available! http://www.slideshare.net/group/africa-middle-east-regional-microcredit-summit-april-710-2010-nairobi-kenya

KWFT licensing boon for small scale borrowers

2010-04-14T12:45:00.000-07:00

Feature: Kenya Women Finance Trust (KWFT)is a member of INAFI Africa

By GEOFFREY IRUNGU

Small scale borrowers are likely to get cheaper credit following the licensing of the second deposit-taking microfinance (DTM) institution — the Kenya Women Finance Trust.

The trust — which will assume the name Kenya Women Finance Trust Deposit Taking Microfinance Limited (KWFT DTM), joins Faulu Kenya which was licensed a year ago.

Another eight firms are waiting for similar licences.

The two institutions can leverage on the cheaper deposits from their customers, a development that should also lead to cheaper credit for the same customers.

KWFT DTM had to raise its borrowings by a massive 49 per cent or Sh1.1 billion to Sh3.3 billion in 2008 in order to continue giving out loans. Read more

UPDATES: Day One - Africa-Middle East Microcredit Summit in Nairobi

2010-04-08T18:41:00.000-07:00

Around 1,500 delegates coming from 78 countries attended the Africa-Middle East Summit which was opened last April 7 at the Kenyatta International Conference Centre. The theme of the conference is “Committed to ending poverty”. In the opening ceremony, President Mwai Kibaki of Kenya said that the government is committed to improving the legal and regulatory framework that guides the microfinance industry in Kenya.

He cited the enactment of Microfinance Act 2006 and the SACCO Societies Act 2008 which improve the legal regulatory framework of the microfinance industry in this country. President Kibaki reiterated the important role of microfinance in eradicating poverty through financial inclusion of the poor people.

Other keynote speakers were Princess Maxima of the Netherlands, Queen Sofia of Spain, and Professor Mohammad Yunus all three underscored the need to facilitate access to financial services for the world’s poor to help them improve their livelihood.

At the first day of the conference, INAFI organized an associated workshop titled “Remittances, Microfinance, and Development. Akin Akintola, member of INAFI board moderated the workshop. Main speaker was Leila Rispens-Noel, Senior Advisor of INAFI, and Atiqun Nabi of INAFI Bangladesh/INAFI Asia, and Wakil Adjibi of Vital Finance (Benin) served as discussants. Both Nabi and Adjibi shared their experiences of their respective MFIs in leveraging remittances for development. Rispens-Noel mentioned the role of MFIs in providing remittance-based products and services to migrants and their families. Financial literacy she said is an important tool to help migrants and their families secure their financial future.

Several INAFI member organizations in Africa play important role during the conference as speakers or resource persons. INAFI also participated in the exhibition where they presented the new brochure and corporate house style.

View some INAFI Pictures here

Poor man’s banker roots for reforms in finance sector

Microcredit summit opens in Nairobi

INAFI changes corporate brand: Empowering People, Transforming Lives

2010-03-31T02:36:00.000-07:00

INAFI has new logo and corporate brand! the new look is borne out of the desire of INAFI to promote the network at the national, regional, and international levels in a more effective manner. This new corporate branding effort will enable INAFI to create a common identity, clear vision and mission, and will set it apart from other networks. It also signals the renewed commitment to contribute in alleviating poverty in cooperation with other stakeholders.

The new logo exudes freshness, the colors symbolize the diversity of INAFI membership and yet they blend in harmony. Green, the dominant color symbolizes sustainability. The shape is square which has four equal sides and four equal angles which denote strategic cooperation among its networks based on the spirit of equal partnership and mutual interest sharing the same vision and mission.

INAFI also renewed is website. Please visit www.inafi.org/. In addition, in order to keep pace with the fast changing development in the sector and to promote better links with the member organizations, INAFI just started this new blog which serves as a forum for interactive discussion on relevant topics, news, events, links and other resources. The blog complements our website.

We also would like to announce that INAFI International just moved to a new office. Please see below our new contact address:

International Network of Alternative

Financial Institutions (INAFI)

Fondation Internationale des Institutions

de Financement Alternatif (INAFI)

Sacré Cœur 2, N° 8609 D

BP: 45374 Dakar-Fann, SENEGAL

Tel.: +(221) 33 825 32 22

Fax: +(221) 33 825 32 23

info@inafi.org

www.inafi.org

http://inafi.blogspot.com

INAFI International Holds Board Meeting on April 4-5 in Nairobi

2010-03-29T18:44:00.000-07:00

The members of the INAFI Board and its executive directors are holding a Board meeting in Nairobi on April 4-5 prior to the Africa-Middle East Microcredit Summit.

The Board meeting provides an opportunity to explore current issues, challenges and concerns about implementing programs of INAFI, and its future direction.

The new logo, brochure, and website of INAFI will also be presented to the members which will serve as backdrop for discussing on how to increase INAFI's visibility and launch effective communication campaign.

A meeting with representatives from Oxfam Novib to discuss the re-start of the EC-funded Remittance project was also successfully conducted. For more photos of the meeting, view our album. Updated, April 5, 2010.

INAFI attends Africa-Middle East Microcredit Summit in Nairobi

2010-03-29T02:28:00.000-07:00

A large delegation from INAFI networks is attending the Africa-Middle East Microcredit Summit in Nairobi which will be held on April 7-10.

If you are attending the Africa – Middle East Regional Microcredit Summit, you may be interested to know that INAFI is conducting an an hour-long associate workshop on Microfinance, Remittances, and Development: INAFI’ Members Responses within the summit itself.

For detailed program of the Summit, please check: http://amms.registration.ca/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/Detailed-Agenda11.pdf

INAFI has been assigned to conduct an associated session with the title "Microfinance, Remittances, and Development: INAFI Members' Responses. The session is scheduled on April 7, 17:45 – 18:45, Room: Tsavo A

Leila Rispens-Noel, Senior Advisor of INAFI International will lead the session. Detailed description of the session can be dowloaded here

Several members of INAFI will be actively participating in the Summit as panelists in various sessions.

1.      Mr. Fazle Hasan Abed, BRAC Bangladesh
2.      Hon. Soukeyna Ndyiaye Ba, INAFI International
3.      Mr. Akin Akintola, Community Development Foundation, Nigeria
4.      Dr. Jennifer N. Riria, KWFT
5.      Mr. Mwangi Githanga, KWFT
6.      Mr. John Mwara Kibochi, Faulu, Kenya
7.      Mr. Peter Mugendi, KADET Kenya
8.      Mr. Godwin Ehiglamusoe, LAPO Nigeria
9.      Mr. Daouda Sawagodo, FCPB Burkina Faso

INAFI

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Ninth Advanced Reflective Training and education (ART) course on Micro Insurance

INAFI International Implements a User-Owned, Low Cost Remittance Service

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Centre advises self-help group model to counter MFIs

Intl summit on microfinance

Three-day microfinance summit begins today

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International microfinance summit from today

Global Remittance Flows Into Continent Less Than 20 Percent

INAFI Asia organizes Microfinance and Inclusive Development - An Alternative Summit in Hyderabad, India

Demise of Chairman, INAFI Asia Trust and our condolence

FUNERAL ARRANGEMENTS

Microfinance Faces Changing Risks: Banana Skins 2011

FG Supports Creation of Microfinance Development Fund

The European Microcredit Research Award 2011 re-launched

INAFI International signs partnership agreements with migrant organizations in Belgium, Luxembourg, and The Netherlands

REPORT: INAFI Joins GFMD 2010 in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

Information Session: Netherlands

EUROPEAN MIGRANT TOUR: 26 November 2010

Ethiopia's Amhara Credit and Savings Institution (ACSI) won the Microfinance Institution of the Year Award.

INAFI International congratulates ACSI for winning Microfinance Institution of the Year Award.

010 African Banker Awards winners announced

New call for Innovation grants

ILO’s New Call for Innovation Grants

Statement by Alex Counts, Grameen Foundation President and CEO, about the Microfinance Sector in India

JOB VACANCY: Webmaster Joomla bilingue INAFI Dakar (CLOSED)

Détail du poste

APPLICATION IS NOW CLOSED

LAPO adopts client protection principles

TOP 100 MICROFINANCE INSTITUTIONS IN SOUTH AMERICA

UGANDA: Government Releases Sh60 Billion for Saccos

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

INAFI and Oxfam Novib launch project linking microfinance institutions and immigrant associations in Geneva

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

Self regulation for a sustainable future

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

Peru: the world’s best climate for microfinance

From the CEO of Small and Microenterprise Program SMEP (Kenya)

NEWS FROM Lift Above Poverty Organisation (LAPO Nigeria)

New CFO JOINS LAPO

International Auditing Firm Preparing 2009 figures

German Bank Manager as Volunteer

Consultant to support the Change Process

Strategic Functions Are Now Operating From Lagos

Interest Rates And Charges Reviewed

Volume of Operations is in the Increase

Improvements in our Data Processing

INAFI Africa Trust conducts training of Trainers for Branch Managers

Nigeria's microfinance policy review underway

Hints of the Subprime in New Microcredit

FDEA launches new website

SEDPI CEO TO PRESENT MICROFINANCE PAPER IN UK

Workshops for Global Microcredit Summit 2011 announced

MFIs tap technology as the bridge to reach unbanked millions

JOB VACANCY (Application closed)

G20 Identifies nine principles for innovative financial inclusion, action plan expected in November

MFTransparency and Luxembourg Development Cooperation launch Transparent Pricing Initiative in West Africa

Sub-Saharan Africans Bank on Family for Business Loans

MFTransparency et Lux-Development Lance l’Initiative sur la Transparence des Prix en Afrique de l’Ouest

MFTransparency Launches Pricing Initiative in Senegal

Africa Development Indicators 2010

Where a little bit goes a long way: microcredit loans to women in need

Why We Need Transparency?

FCTA To Create Microfinance Institutions In All Council Areas

The Millennium Development Goals Report 2010

Summit on the Millennium Development Goals 20-22 September 2010

Creating a global private equity fund for the African microfinance

How Microfinance is Helping to End Poverty in Developing Countries

FEDECREDITO: IFC Offers First Remittance-Secured Financing for El Salvador’s Microenterprise Sector

Top 200 MFPs worldwide

Top 200 Microfinance Providers

Read more

CONGRATULATIONS to INAFI Member MFIs which are on the list of top MFI providers!

Events of 6 African wide MFInetworks

GRAMEEN Report: Measuring the Impact of Microfinance: Taking Another Look

FEATURE: Small Premiums, Long Term Benefits: Why Poor Women Need Microinsurance

INAFI Executive Director Attends CONVERGENCES 2015 Forum and Microfinance Transprency Meeting

Africa-Middle East Microcredit Summit 2010, Nairobi

Summit on the Millennium Development Goals
20-22 September 2010