MICROCAPITAL STORY: Enda Inter-Arabe Rolls Out Grameen Foundation’s Mifos Information Management Platform to 52 Branches with Assistance from Grameen-Jameel and ThoughtWorks

Grameen-Jameel Pan-Arab Microfinance Limited and Grameen Foundation (GF) have announced that enda Inter-Arabe of Tunisa (enda) has gone live on Mifos, the management information system for microfinance institutions. Mifos is an open source software program, meaning, among other things, the source code is accessible and the software is freely redistributable. The platform was developed by Grameen Foundation and launched in the Arab World by Grameen-Jameel. According to the press release in CSRwire, enda expects the investment in Mifos to assist it in managing its growth from the current 100,000-plus poor clients across Tunisia to its target of 300,000 by the end of 2012. The announcement was made at the 2009 Sanabel Microfinance Conference in Beirut, Lebanon, a gathering of microfinance practitioners and stakeholders in the Middle East and North Africa.

Launched in 2006 as a community-driven platform, Mifos is a web-based management information system (MIS). Mifos supports loan and savings portfolio management, centralized operational reporting, social performance measurement, and can be integrated with other technology solutions. To read a recent MicroCapital story about the platform and the Mifos Initiative, click here. To learn more, download the product, and become a part of the Mifos community, visit www.mifos.org.

Enda used professional services from Grameen Foundation and ThoughtWorks, a global IT consultancy, to tailor Mifos to fit its business requirements. Five to seven branches were brought on in a first testing phase followed by a roll-out across all 52 branches. ThoughtWorks, founded in 1993 is a global IT consultancy employing approximately 1,000 people throughout the world which focuses on Agile software development.

Founded in Tunisia in 1990, enda began offering micro-credit in 1995. According to the MIX Market, the microfinance information clearinghouse, as of March 31, 2009, enda served approximately 104,000 active borrowers and had a gross loan portfolio of USD 34 million. As of the same date enda’s total assets were USD 38 million, and it’s debt-to-equity was 2.1. ROE and ROA for 2009 were not available but as of March 31, 2008 ROE was 24.22 percent and ROA was 8.42 percent.

The Sanabel Microfinance Conference is hosted by the Sanabel Microfinance network. To learn more about the conference click here. The Sanabel network was established in 2002 by 17 representatives from seven Arab countries. In 2004 the organization was incorporated and registered as a non-profit in Atlanta, Georgia, USA and in Cairo, Egypt where the headquarters are located. To view a list of affiliated MFI’s, click here.

Grameen-Jameel is a social business established in 2007 as a joint venture between Grameen Foundation and Bab Rizq Jameel Limited, a subsidiary of Abdul Latif Jameel Group. According to the press release, to date the organization has facilitated local currency financing of USD 44 million backed by USD 20 million in guarantees to its partners and has reached more than 350,000 new microfinance clients through its partners in Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine and Yemen.

Based in Washington, D.C., Grameen Foundation is a global 501(c)(3) non-profit organization based in Washington DC that works to replicate the Grameen Bank microfinance model around the world through a global network of partner microfinance institutions. Started in 1976 by Nobel Peace Prize Winner Professor Muhammad Yunus, Grameen Bank serves more than six million poor families with loans, savings, insurance and other services. According to the MIX Market, GF has established a global partner network of 55 microfinance institutions by providing direct financial support and technical assistance. GF’s operations are overseen by a voluntary Board of Directors. MicroCapital has reported on several stories concerning Grameen Bank, Grameen Foundation and Mohammad Yunus. To read more MicroCapital stories about Mohammad Yunus and Grameen, click here. According to the company’s most recent financial statements, as of March 31, 2008 GF had total assets of USD 25.0 million, total revenues of USD 21.9 million, and total expenses of USD 16.7 million.

By Laura Anderson, Research Associate

Additional Resources:

The Corporate Social Responsibility Newswire: Enda Inter-Arabe Goes Live on Mifos Information Management Platform

MicroCapital Story: Mifos, a Freely Available Open-Source Management Information System for Microfinance Institutions

The MIX Market: Home, enda Profile, Sanabel Profile

Grameen-Jameel: Home

Grameen Foundation: Home, 2007-2008 Financial Statements

Mifos Initiative: Home

ThoughtWorks: Home

Sanabel Network: Home

Sanabel Microfinance Conference: Home