The Pamoja Women’s Development Programme (PAWDEP), a Kenyan microfinance institution (MFI) that lends only to women, has become the first African MFI to submit product pricing data to MFTransparency, a company that provides pricing data for the microfinance industry [1,2]. PAWDEP is a “project partner” of Oikocredit, a “financier of microfinance” based in the Netherlands that was an early endorser of MFTransparency [1]. Oikocredit and PAWDEP began their relationship in 2008 when PAWDEP received a loan from the investor worth KES 84 million, the equivalent of over USD 1.1 million [1]. According to an Oikocredit press release, MFTransparency is now working with other Kenyan MFIs on the process of submitting product pricing data [1].
By Christopher Maggio, Research Assistant
About: Pamoja Women’s Development Programme (PAWDEP)
Description:
PAWDEP is a Kenyan microfinance institution (MFI) that provides loans exclusively to women in both rural and urban areas of Kenya. It specifically focuses on providing loans for “small-scale industry and farming.” It was founded in 2003 as an NGO. It is in the process of transforming from an MFI to a microfinance bank in accordance with the Microfinance Act (2007) in Kenya. It was the first African MFI to report product pricing data, to MFTransparency, a company that provides pricing transparency data for the microfinance industry.
Microfinance Information Exchange (MIX) Profile:
http://www.mixmarket.org/mfi/pawdep
Organization’s Website:
http://www.pawdep.org/index.html
Just the Facts:
-Country of Incorporation: Kenya
-Year Founded: 2003
-Legal Status: Non-Governmental Organization
-Total Assets: USD 6.2 million (as of 31/Dec/08)
-Gross Loan Portfolio: USD 5.6 million (as of 31/Dec/08)
-Number of Active Borrowers: 42,000 (as of 31/Dec/08)
-Area of Operation: Kenya
-Participant(s)/Backer(s)/Investor(s): Oikocredit
-Fund Currency: KES
-CEO: Julius Chege
Contact Information:
Head Office
:: Physical Address
Kikinga House, Biashara Street, Kiambu.
:: Postal Address
P.O. Box 2472 00100, Nairobi.
:: Telephones
+254 66 202 2205/ +254 20 238 3881
+254 20 204 5049
:: Fax
+254 66 224 55
:: Internet
Email: info@pawdep.org, Website: http://www.pawdep.org
Additional Resources:
Oikocredit press release entitled ‘Oikocredit partner first to offer transparency data’: http://www.oikocredit.org/site/en/doc.phtml?p=news-events&index=507
KNOW A MICROFINANCE ORGANIZATION: MFTransparency
About:
MFTransparency
Description:
MFTransparency is a company that aims to provide “information on credit products and their prices in a clear and consistent fashion” for the microfinance industry. It was launched in July of 2008. According to their website, as of December 6, 2009, they are endorsed by 264 “industry leaders” that serve 80 million clients globally.
Organization’s Website:
http://www.mftransparency.org/
Just the Facts:
– Country of Incorporation: United States
– Year Launched: 2008
– Area of Operation: Global
– CEO & Founder: Chuck Waterfield
Contact Information:
Mailing Address
MicroFinance Transparency
325 N West End Ave
Lancaster, PA 17603 (USA)
Phone: +1 7 1 7 4 7 5 6 7 3 3
Fax: +1 8 6 6 2 8 5 8 3 6 3
info@mftransparency.org
Email Contacts
We invite you to visit our website, which is updated regularly with new information. If you are looking for specific information, please consider contacting us at the following email addresses:
Communications
To inquire about article submissions, interviews, conference or speaking engagements, please contactcommunications@mftransparency.org
Sponsorship
To inquire about Sponsorship opportunities or to sign the endorsement statement, please contactsponsor@mftransparency.org
Data Collection
To inquire about MFTransparency’s data collection procedures or countries for which data has already been collected, please contact data@mftransparency.org
Website
To inquire about our website, please contact website@mftransparency.org
General Inquiries
General inquiries can be sent to info@mftransparency.org
Additional Resources:
MFTransparency Country Data: http://www.mftransparency.org/data/countries/
Bibliography:
[1] Oikocredit press release entitled ‘Oikocredit partner first to offer transparency data’: http://www.oikocredit.org/site/en/doc.phtml?p=news-events&index=507
[2] PAWDEP: http://www.pawdep.org/
[3] MFTransparency: http://www.mftransparency.org/
[4] Oikocredit: http://www.oikocredit.org/site/en/index.phtml?p=home7
Source Press Release:
Oikocredit partner first to offer transparency data
30-11-2009
Oikocredit project partner PAWDEP is leading the way in microfinance pricing transparency in Africa. The Kenya-based Pamoja Women’s Development Programme was the first African microfinance institution to submit data to MFTransparency Transparent Pricing Initiative.
MFTransparancy allows organizations in the microfinance sector to publicly demonstrate their commitment to pricing transparency, integrity and poverty alleviation in the industry.
The MFTransparency staff are now working with other Kenyan MFIs to complete the data submission process. The success of the MFTransparency Transparent Pricing Initiative in Kenya depends on the submission of information on product pricing.
Oikocredit was the first Dutch microfinance investor to endorse the pioneering organization and has renewed its support to the organization last month. With the continued endorsement and financial backing of organizations like Oikocredit, MFTransparency has been able to scale up its pricing transparency operations.
About PAWDEP:
PAWDEP has 70 staff and 58 of them are female. They have 48,000 clients – all women – throughout five provinces in Kenya. PAWDEP chief executive Julius Muiruri says the organization uses the motto, “education with credit” combining loans with practical training. The organization is also embarking on a pilot programme aimed at men titled, “Men in Action”. PAWDEP has been an Oikocredit project partner since 2008, and has received one Oikocredit loan of Kenya Shillings 84,000,000 (€ 801,000).
http://www.oikocredit.org/site/en/doc.phtml?p=news-events&index=507
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