06ne-4853 Participation of women in credit unions and mutual aid program
| budget |
€ 93.738,02 |
status |
execution |
| start date |
01-01-2007 |
date end |
31-12-2007 |
| location |
|
country |
nepal |
| financer |
Agriterra |
| executor |
Nepal Federation of Savings and Credit Cooperative Unions |
intervention level |
national |
| Programmes |
| work area 08: Banking and Credit sector (including Insurance) | IFAP 08: Ensure secure access to resources | |
| description |
NEFSCUN offers micro-insurance service to its members. This proposal aims to strengthen savings and credit cooperatives access for women and economic development of women, members of SACCOS. The targeted area is the western part of Nepal which is the poorest part of the country. The proposal is a replication of (...more...) |
| description |
NEFSCUN offers micro-insurance service to its members. This proposal aims to strengthen savings and credit cooperatives access for women and economic development of women, members of SACCOS. The targeted area is the western part of Nepal which is the poorest part of the country. The proposal is a replication of the WECUMI project which started originally in the center and eastern part of the country and is now being executed by ACCU (Asian Credit Cooperative Alliance) with contribution of Agriterra. (...less...) |
| results & observations |
Nepal Federation of Savings and Credit Cooperative Unions (NEFSCUN) is implementing 3 different projects.
1. The Mutual Aid Programme is in operation since 2005 aiming to offer micro mutual services in value added basis. Based on the lessons learned and feedback received from the participating SACCOS during one year operation the (...more...) |
| final results & observations |
Nepal Federation of Savings and Credit Cooperative Unions (NEFSCUN) is implementing 3 different projects.
1. The Mutual Aid Programme is in operation since 2005 aiming to offer micro mutual services in value added basis. Based on the lessons learned and feedback received from the participating SACCOS during one year operation the product was modified. The new pure death risk product is in operation from January 2007 among eight NEFSCUN affiliated SACCOS. By the end of December 1131 members (705 women) participated in the program. There is a big demand for a combined product among the members, the options will be further explored in 2008, in collaboration with MIAN experts. One ex- Agriterra staff member has been posted at NEFSCUN to support with the N-MAP programme. The strategic planning workshop of NEFSCUN has been postponed till early 2008.
2. The Micro Finance and Micro Enterprise Development Project for Women in Mid Western Region of Nepal is in operation since 2006. The main goal is to provide basic financial services to female community entrepreneurs through local savings and credit cooperative societies. By the end of December 2007, the project was working with 24 SACCOS and the individual women membership is 3494. 630 women of 309 self help groups are engaged in micro enterprise activities such as poultry farming, goat raising, retail shop, tailoring activities etc. It is not yet clear to what extend these women have realised an improved income from these activities. However, their social recognition increased and more women became member of a SACCO.
3. The third component of the project Women Empowerment and Credit Union Micro Finance Innovation (WECUMI) is in operation since 2001. It aims to integrate rural women in the credit union movement through the provision of Micro Finance activities in group approach. A Business Development Centre (BDC), as a service Centre, was set up at Chitwan to provide business support services to members. By the end of 2007 the BDC is working with 28 SACCOS and providing the services to 7729 individual women members of SACCOS. 273 women have participated in trainings and the establishment of small scale enterprises. The BDC does not have a Business plan and depends much on donor funding.
It has been worthwhile to support NEFSCUN with financial and advisory support during 2007. NEFSCUN has been able to implement many of the planned activities despite the difficult political situation in Nepal. Main activity of NEFSCUN is the mutual aid programme, and in 2008 the main challenge is to identify an attractive combined product (incl. a savings component) for rural areas which is affordable for the farmers.
The women projects resulted in increased number of female members in SACCOS and an increasing number of women are involved in small scale enterprises. The WECUMI and women micro finance projects need to focus more on the marketing aspects of micro enterprise development and the sustainable and financial autonomy of the business development centre in the future.
(...less...) |
| specialisms |
| Banking and credit sector (incl. insurance) | |
PROPOSAL
| Agri-agency | Own contribution executor | Other parties | Total requested budget |
|---|
| Agriterra | NEFSCUN | | |
| € 0,00 + € 0,00 | € 0,00 | € 0,00 | € 60.000,00 |
NEFSCUN's focus is on diversifying its financial services through offering a micro-insurance service to its members. After the first two years in which lots of misunderstandings and technical difficulties had to be dealt with NEFSCUN is prepared to proceed providing a mutual benefit policy to members of 5 of the pilot SACCOS (Savings and Credit Cooperative Societies).
This proposal aims to strengthen savings and credit cooperatives access for women and economic development of women, members of SACCOS. The targeted area is the western part of Nepal which is the poorest part of the country. The proposal is a replication of the WECUMI project which started originally in the center and eastern part of the country and is now being executed by ACCU (Asian Credit Cooperative Alliance) with contribution of Agriterra. |
GOALS
- improve the standard living of members of SACCOS by offering micro-mutual (insurance) services in Nepal
- provision of basic financial services to community-level female entrepreneurs in selected districts in the Mid-West Development Region of Nepal |
