Community-Managed Microfinance course offered at MDI-SA 2007
Date :
2007-03-05
Kind :
Conference
Description :
Dear Practitioner,
Please be advised of this exciting course offering:
Community-Managed Microfinance:
Creating Sustainable Financial Services Beyond the Frontier Facilitated by Hugh Allen and Vinod Parmeshwar
Special Full Week Full Day Course Offering
At MDI-SA Johannesburg, SA
March 12 - 16, 2007
The community-managed microfinance course deals with providing sustainable financial services for the very poor. Although MFIs are well-established, they have mostly failed to penetrate remote rural areas because the costs are too high and the demand for credit too small. Meanwhile, over the last 15 years, massive, sustainable programmes have emerged that reach this target group at very low cost, based on autonomous, small-scale savings and loan associations. Participants will learn why community-managed microfinance is needed; where it fits in relation to standard microfinance methodologies; how it works and performance measurement and management. Participants will also discuss issues related to HIV/AIDS, cross-sectoral programming and linkages to formal sector MFIs. Participants will be provided the latest design tools and training manuals used by CARE, OXFAM and PACT and an electronic MIS designed specifically for this type of programme. At the end of the course participants will be able to evaluate the relevance of community-based microfinance to their work and design and manage such programmes. Students will come from institutions seeking to reach the very poor. They need not be microfinance specialists, but convinced of the need to provide financial services. They should either be programme supervisors/managers or designers.
