Grameen-Jameel Microfinance Limited, a nonprofit Cyprus-based joint venture of the US-based Grameen Foundation and the Saudi Arabia-based nonprofit Abdul Latif Jameel Community Initiatives, recently declared that it will loan USD 2 million each to Microfund for Women (MFW), a microfinance provider in Jordan, and Al Majmoua, a Lebanese nongovernmental organization (NGO) that lends to microenterprises.
Search Results for: MFW
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Bharti Airtel, MicroEnsure Launch Mobile Microinsurance Service in Africa
Bharti Airtel, an Indian telecommunications services provider with operations in 150 countries, has partnered with MicroEnsure, a UK-based nonprofit microinsurance intermediary, to provide MicroEnsure’s microinsurance services to Airtel customers in Africa via mobile phone.
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: African Development Bank (AfDB) Loans $17m to Société Nigérienne de Banque (Sonibank) of Niger to Support Private Sector
African Development Bank (AfDB), a multilateral institution that provides loans and grants to governments and private companies in Africa, recently approved a credit line in the amount of EUR 13 million (USD 17 million) to Société Nigérienne de Banque (Sonibank), a commercial bank in Niger.
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: European Investment Bank (EIB) to Loan $12b by 2020 to African, Caribbean, Pacific Countries for Infrastructure, Private Business, Regional Developments
The Luxembourg-based European Investment Bank (EIB), the long-term lending bank of the European Union (EU), recently announced that it will loan a total of EUR 9 billion (USD 12 billion) by 2020 to institutions in Africa, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) regions through its ACP Investment Facility, a revolving and risk-bearing fund for private sector investment.
MICROFINANCE PUBLICATION ROUND-UP: Financing Africa, Social Performance Indicators for Microinsurance, Segmentation of Agricultural Households
“Financing Africa Through the Crisis and Beyond;” by Thorsten Beck, Samuel Munzele Maimbo, Issa Faye and Thouraya Triki; published by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), World Bank Group, African Development Bank; 2013; 322 pages; available at: http://www.afdb.org/fileadmin/uploads/afdb/Documents/Publications/Financing%20Africa%20Through%20the%20Crisis%20and%20Beyond.pdf
This book presents a review of trends in Africa’s financial sector in the context of Africa’s past economic development trends and broader historical background.
MICROFINANCE PAPER WRAP-UP: “Policy Brief: Advancing African Women’s Financial Inclusion;” published by Making Finance Work for Africa, GIZ, New Faces New Voices, East African Community, BMZ
Published by Making Finance Work for Africa (MFW4A), Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), New Faces New Voices, East African Community, Bundesministerium für wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit und Entwicklung (BMZ); 2012; 40 pages; available at: http://www.gbaforwomen.org/images/library/873/Advancing-Womens-financial-inclusion-Final-English.pdf
This report presents an analysis of the potential positive impacts of advancing African women’s financial inclusion, including more inclusive and sustainable economic growth and higher levels of productive investment and asset accumulation.
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Tigo Launches Mobile Banking Service in Chad to Compete with Airtel
Luxembourg-based telecommunication firm Millicom International Cellular, also known as Tigo, has launched A mobile banking operations in Chad.
MICROFINANCE PAPER WRAP-UP: “Microinsurance in Ghana: Microinsurance as a Means of Insurance Sector Development;” by Jan Meissner; published by the National Insurance Commission (NIC), Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ)
By Jan Meissner; published by Ghana’s National Insurance Commission (NIC) and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ); 2013; 243 pages; available at: http://www.microfinancegateway.org/gm/document-1.9.61118/Promoting%20Microinsurance%20in%20Ghana_Full%20Book.pdf
This book analyzes potential ways to enhance the development of the microinsurance sector in Ghana, providing an overview of inclusive financial market development in the country as well as a series of recommended best practices for microinsurance development.
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: MTN Mobile Money, Mobile Financial Services (MFS) Partner to Launch KwikAdvance Payday Loans in Ghana
Mobile Telecommunications Network (MTN) Mobile Money, an arm of South African telecommunications company MTN Group, reportedly has partnered with Mobile Financial Services (MFS) Africa, a for-profit firm based in Mauritius, to launch KwikAdvance in Ghana.
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Ears Earth Environment Monitoring of the Netherlands Offers Climate-based Crop Microinsurance System FESA Free to Microinsurance Retailers in Africa
Ears Earth Environment Monitoring Limited, a subsidiary of the Netherlands-based remote sensing company Ears Holding, is offering its Food Early Solutions for Africa (FESA) microinsurance system free of charge to microinsurance providers.
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Crowdfunding Platform Pi Slice Launches in Dubai to Support Microentrepreneurs in the Middle East
Pi Slice, a start-up crowdfunding platform based in Dubai, reportedly plans to link poor entrepreneurs in the Middle East to microloans raised via social media.
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Women’s World Banking (WWB) Partners with Australia’s AusAID on Microinsurance, 90k Jordanians Reached by Microfund for Women
The Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID), an agency of the federal government of Australia, reportedly has pledged its support to Women’s World Banking (WWB), a US-based nonprofit microfinance network, to assist with the expansion of international microinsurance services.
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Microinsurance Network Expects Industry to Double, Reaching 1b Customers by 2020
The Microinsurance Network, a nonprofit membership organization in Luxembourg that aims to expand access to insurance services for low-income people around the world, has stated that it expects the global microinsurance industry to double its reach by 2020 to serve 1 billion customers.
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Airtel Mobile Money Service Expands to Post Offices in Madagascar
Airtel, an Indian telecommunications company, reportedly has extended its mobile banking service, Airtel Money, in Madagascar by making the service available in 170 post offices in the country.
MICROFINANCE PAPER WRAP-UP: “Briefing Note: The Landscape of Microinsurance in Africa 2012” by Michael J. McCord, Roland Steinmann and Molly Ingram; published by GIZ and Munich Re Foundation; 2012; 11 pages
By Michael J. McCord, Roland Steinmann and Molly Ingram; published by Deutche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and Munich Re Foundation; 2012; 11 pages; available at: http://www.microinsurancecentre.org/resources/documents/doc_download/918-briefing-note-the-landscape-of-microinsurance-in-africa-2012.html
This report presents an analysis of the status and characteristics of the microinsurance industry in Africa.
MICROFINANCE EVENT: Africa Microinsurance Microfinance Conference 2013, March 26-28, 2013, Accra, Ghana
Event Name: Africa Microinsurance Microfinance Conference 2013
Event Date: March 26-28, 2013
Event Location: Accra, Ghana
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: European Union to Give Jordan $32m for Microfinance Over 3 Years
The Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation of Jordan, a governmental institution that aims to affect sustainable development, reportedly has stated that the European Union (EU) will provide funding in the amount of EUR 25 million (USD 32.5 million) to support Jordan’s 2012-2014 executive plan to establish a nationwide microfinance program.
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: West African Banks Asked to Lower Interest Rates by Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO in French)
At a recent conference held in Dakar, Senegal, a representative of the Central Bank of West African States (also known by the French acronym BCEAO) asked West African banks to decrease the interest rates they charge borrowers.