SPECIAL REPORT: Save the Date: African Microfinance Week (Semaine Africaine de la Microfinance), June 29 – July 3, 2015, Dakar, Senegal

Event Name: African Microfinance Week (Semaine Africaine de la Microfinance) 2015

Event Dates: June 29 – July 3, 2015

Location: King Fahd Palace Conference Center, Dakar, Senegal

Event Summary: The second annual African Microfinance Week will center around “accelerating innovative rural finance in Africa,” providing practitioners with a venue for exchanging ideas and reflecting on the trajectory of the industry. The event is designed to improve “the synergies” between the Benin-based African Microfinance Network (AFMIN), an association of 21 national microfinance networks; the African Microfinance Transparency Forum (AMT), a group that aims to strengthen the performance of African microfinance institutions (MFIs); the African Rural & Agricultural Credit Association (AFRACA), a Kenya-based group of 105 central banks, retail financial service providers and microfinance networks; and the Microfinance African Institutions Network (MAIN), a Cote d’Ivoire-based NGO with 71 members. The program is sponsored by the governments of Senegal and the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg with support from the US-based Citi Foundation; the Luxembourg-based European Investment Bank; the United Nations Capital Development Fund; and Microfact, a nonprofit, web-based platform that provides toolkits for building the capacity of MFIs. The week will include plenary sessions, trainings, an investors’ fair and the general assemblies of AFMIN and MAIN. The primary languages of the event will be French and English.

Background on Organizers:  The event is organized by AFMIN; AMT; MAIN; and ADA, which will facilitate the event. ADA is a Luxembourg-based nonprofit formerly known as Appui au Développement Autonome. It promotes financial inclusion worldwide by seeking to prevent overindebtedness and supporting the implementation of tools to measure social performance and transparency.

Event Website: http://www.microfinance-africa.org

For additional information, you may contact ADA via info[at]microfinance-afrique.org or +352 45 68 68 1.

This notice is the first in a series covering the proceedings of African Microfinance Week 2015, which will be held in Dakar, Senegal, from June 29 to July 3, 2015; its facilitator, ADA, is sponsoring MicroCapital to support the event.

About ADA (formerly known as Appui au Développement Autonome):
ADA is a Luxembourg-based NGO that works to promote financial inclusion worldwide. Founded in 1994 as Appui au Développement Autonome, ADA intends to support microfinance institutions by assisting them in achieving “autonomy.” ADA’s activities include developing new financial products, assisting in the capacity building of microfinance institutions (MFIs) and improving information on and awareness of microfinance. As of 2013, ADA reported total assets of EUR 7.2 million (USD 9.29 million), total revenues of EUR 10.4 million (USD 13.4 million), total expenditures of EUR 10.4 million (USD 13.4 million) and net profits of EUR 66,400 (USD 85,700). As of 2013, ADA had active projects in 23 countries, supporting 150 MFIs serving approximately 5 million beneficiaries.

About Africa Microfinance Network (AFMIN):
The Africa Microfinance Network (AFMIN) was established in 2000 as an association of microfinance networks aiming to contribute to the provision of effective and sustainable financial services to the low-income population of Africa. AFMIN’s core programs include capacity building for members, advocacy and policy change, performance monitoring and benchmarking, research, information dissemination, knowledge building, and network management. As of 2007, its 21 member networks collectively represented 1,118 microfinance institution (MFI) members, which reported a collective loan portfolio of USD 2 billion, a collective net savings balance of USD 1.2 billion, 13 million active borrowers and 9.7 million active savers. More recent data on AFMIN are not available.

About African Microfinance Transparency Forum (AMT):
AMT was founded as a pilot program in 2000 by ADA, a Luxembourg-based nonprofit, to engage nine MFIs and four rating agencies in testing the methods to conduct performance evaluations of African MFIs. Based on the results of the pilot, the “African MFI Performance Evaluation Forum” was set up in 2003 as a discussion platform for MFIs and rating agencies active in Africa. The forum has since formally institutionalized as the African Microfinance Transparency Forum (AMT), which was registered as a legal entity in South Africa in 2008.

About Microfinance African Institutions Network (MAIN):
The Microfinance African Institutions Network (MAIN) is an international nonprofit association established in 1995 in Cote d’Ivoire. The mission of MAIN is to help reinforce the social and economic role of African microfinance institutions by initiating an African agenda for microfinance promotion as part of the overall development process of the continent. As of 2015, MAIN has 71 members located in Africa, Europe and the Middle East.

Sources and Additional Resources

African Microfinance Week Website: http://www.microfinance-africa.org

MicroCapital Universe Profile: Appui au Développement Autonome (ADA)

MicroCapital Universe Profile: Africa Microfinance Network (AFMIN)

MicroCapital Universe Profile: African Microfinance Transparency Forum (AMT)

MicroCapital Universe Profile: Microfinance African Institutions Network (MAIN)

MicroCapital Universe Profile: European Investment Bank

MicroCapital Universe Profile: United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF)

Do you know that MicroCapital publishes the MicroCapital Monitor newspaper each month? Find out more at https://www.microcapital.org/products-page/

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