CMF conducted Baseline Survey for Sahara Nepal

Donor:
Project Length:
Location:

Ford Foundation and Centre for Microfinance (CMF) Nepal worked together in this project for the Strengthening of Micro-finance Sector in Nepal. The main goal of this project was to strengthening the microfinance sector in Nepal, more specifically through capacity building of MFIs with a focus on female-led MFIs.

It had two major objectives. First: to enhance institutional capacity of the 30 selected savings and credit cooperatives. Second: to enable selected MFIs to better serve their women clients through training, technical support, publications, promotion of information technology, dissemination of lessons learned and networking activities.

Donor: Ford Foundation
Project Length: 2004-2007
Location: 30 savings and credit co-operatives

The project provided civic education on the ongoing democratic processes following the Nepalese Civil War through the engagement and participation of women’s savings and credit co-operatives.

The three year project increased the access and flow of accurate information related to the upcoming Constituent Assembly elections, including its mandate, procedures and membership. This increased awareness, allowed for the members to participate in informed debate related to democracy and constitutional issues.

The strategy of using local co-operatives (with their focus on education, leadership and democratic process) as a practical and credible means to educate the broader community on democratic development was effective reaching a total of over 70,000 people in 22 districts.

Donor: Canadian Cooperative Association
Project Length: December 2006 - October 2009
Location: 22 districts of Nepal

The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and Centre for Microfinance (CMF) Nepal worked together in this project for Promotion of Migrants Savings and Alternative Investments through selected Micro-financing Institutions (MFIs) in Nepal. The main aim of the project was to improve the financial service, including remittance delivery capacity of 10 selected microfinance institutions to the rural poor and migrant worker families.

It had six objectives. First: to diversify microfinance products targeting migrant workers and their families. Second: to enhance the sustainability of MFIs and migrant family enterprises through saving and alternative investment. Third: to increase the awareness on financial literacy among MFI client and migrant work. Fourth: to create an enabling environment for migrant workers. Fifth: to use remittances as technology for rural development. And sixth: to pilot test unemployment insurance.

Donor: IFAD
Project Length: March 2009- March 2011
Location: All throughout Nepal

The project is built on the works of the previous 3-year project entitled “Strengthening of Women’s Savings and Credit Co-operatives” implemented by CMF in partnership with the Canadian Co-operative Association (CCA). The three-year project extension built on the achievements of the previous period; lessons learned; and increased the project outreach with qualitative growth of the previous program ensuring the sustained financial services to 25,000 poor rural women.

The project provided advanced and specialized training to partner co-operatives/savings and credit groups and established linkages with wholesale lending institutions and insurance companies wherein the members (poor rural women) were empowered to get access to quality microfinance services. An additional 150 groups were included in the project and market research and socio-economic impact studies were conducted.

Donor: Canadian Cooperative Association
Project Length: October 2005 - March 2011
Location: All throughout Nepal

GIZ and Centre for Microfinance (CMF) Nepal worked together in this project for building the capacity of cooperatives in eight project districts.

It has four objectives. First is to provide microfinance technical support, such as training on cooperative management, value chain development, and TOT on auditing and supervision. Second is to conduct 15 stakeholder meetings on cooperative development. Third is to conduct cooperative coordination network meeting at the national and regional level. And fourth is to provide technical support to develop five-year strategic plan for the development of the cooperative sector.

Donor: GTZ
Project Length: September 2010- September 2011
Location: 8 districts

Gender Equality and Empowerment of Women( GEEoW) / ADB and Centre For Microfinance (CMF) Nepal worked together on this project for the building capacity of saving and credit cooperatives in 15 districts of Nepal. Its main aim is to strengthen the cooperative groups through capacity building trainings.

There are two main objectives. First is to build capacity of the groups and cooperatives specifically in cooperative management, loan management and bookkeeping. And the second is to improve the socioeconomic condition of poor rural women.

Donor: GEEoW / ADB
Project Length: August 2011- February 2012
Location: 15 districts (Bajhang, Bajura, Baitadi, Achham, Doti, Kalikot, Mugu, Jumla, Bara, Rautahat, Mahttari, Sindhuli, Sarlahi, Ramechhap, and Dhanusa).

The Centre for Microfinance (CMF) Nepal and INCLUDE/GIZ worked together in this project to provide capacity building services to the selected cooperatives in the Surkhet district.The goal of this project is to improve the structural framework for balancing socially inclusive economic growth.

The first objective of this project is to organize different training programs for partner cooperatives to enhance their institutional capacity. The second objective is to set up a Cooperative Promotion Centre which would support the development of the cooperative sector in the district.

Donor: GIZ/ (INCLUDE)
Project Length: June 2012- November 2012
Location: Surkhet district

The project was built on the success of ten years of previous CCA/CMF collaboration, with the main goal of strengthening and building the sustainability of women managed savings and credit co-operatives (SACCOs).

Women’s access to sustainable financial services increased through building the capacity of 57 SACCOs in co-operative management training, financial management, micro-enterprise training, and linkage building.

From the trainings, SACCOs financial sustainability and social performance improved.

Donor: Canadian Cooperative Association
Project Length: April 2011 - March 2013
Location: 57 credit and savings co-operatives

Centre for Microfinance (CMF) Nepal has worked with Alternative Energy Promotion Centre (AEPC)  to study the impact of credit on the installation of biogas plant in Nepal.

The objective of this study was to assess the different modalities of credit flowin the installation of the biogas plants. CMF investigated the following: lending policies and strategies of financial institutions for financing renewable energy technology (RET) in general, and biogas in particular; conducted survey to find out the current status  of the number of biogas plants, sizes of loans needed to construct biogas plants, suitable location of biogas plants, etc...; studied the remittance flows in Nepal and how they were being used for the construction of biogas plants;assessed the different sources of user’s contribution for the installation of biogas plants.

Donor: Alternative Energy Promotion Centre (AEPC)
Project Length: May 2013- October 2013
Location: Khumaltar, Lalitpur

Medicins du Monde France partnered with Centre for Microfinance (CMF) Nepal to promote  microfinance services to reduce maternal and newborn mortality rates in the Sindhupalchowk district.

The program worked with government owned health institutions, primary health care workers, and village development committees to improve access to and quality of maternal and new born care and emergency obstetric and newborn care services. Workshops on sexual and reproductive health awareness and microfinance and financial literacy modules were developed and conducted to increase and improve access to quality of the services.

Donor: MDM France
Project Length: January 2011 - December 2013
Location: Sindhupalchowk District

Centre for Microfinance (CMF) Nepal worked together with National Micro-entrepreneur’s Federation Nepal (NMEFEN) to deliver and increase financial literacy training and knowledge to micro-entrepreneurs.

The following topics were discussed to improve the economic livelihood of the micro-entrepreneurs:

•   Access financial service providers.

•   Loan disbursement procedures.

•   Difference between consumption loan and productive loan.

•   Loan with and without collateral.

•   Importance of group liability.

Business plan requirement.

Donor: NMEFEN
Project Length: August 2014 - June 2015
Location: Kathmandu

CMF in partnership with Good Return (Asia-Pacific regional microfinance initiative of World Education Australia Ltd.) and World Education Inc., Nepal is implementing the CAFE (Consumer Awareness and Financial Empowerment) initiative pilot project in Nepal. Our partners in this program are Swarojgar Microfinance Development Bank (in Chitwan) and Sahara Nepal Saving and Credit Cooperative Society (in Jhapa). 

The CAFE initiative is an innovative technique intentionally focuses the intervention on the shared responsibility of the financial service provider (FSP) and consumer working together through a dynamic interactive process, to ensure responsible financial inclusion, consumer protection and financial capability development. CAFE is unique in Nepal as it leverages existing channels to deliver training and targeted messaging that are linked to the Smart Campaign’s 7 Client Protection principles and designed to influence the money management behavior of FSP clients.

The goal of the CAFE Initiative is to support FSPs and consumers working together to strengthen client protection and financial behavior, ultimately enhancing the financial wellbeing of low-income households.

The CAFE curriculum is based on five modules that support the development of financial capability and consumer awareness. Using tools such as Learner Needs Assessment and in-depth Smart Assessment, CAFE takes the findings to inform the design of the distinct but mutually reinforcing models: CAFE Accelerator and CAFE Face-2-Face.

CAFE Accelerator is targeted at the FSPs entire client base (similar to a mass-media or mass-marketing approach). It uses existing product or service delivery and communication channels to embed key messages that prompt clients to follow desired financial behaviors strengthening consumer protection.

CAFE Face-2-Face (F2F) is targeted at a subset of FSPs clients who are identified as being vulnerable (e.g. at risk of over indebtedness or high incidence of relative poverty). Using an interactive training method, participants are supported over an extended period to close the “intention action gap” of consumer protection and positive financial behaviors. This is achieved through positively re-framing their money perceptions and coaching participants to develop new habits that apply to their real-life money management decisions.

With the introduction of new technology as CAFE mobile app for F2F, it is easy to monitor the change week after its implementation and foresee the changes required.

Donor: Good Return Australia
Project Length: December 2013 - March 2016
Location: Chitwan and Jhapa districts

The programme works with both the public and private sector to leverage access and facilitate financial sector development for small and medium enterprises and for the rural poor people specifically in the mid-and-far-western regions of Nepal.

To do so, the programme focuses on three main outputs:

1.  Improved SME finance as banks and other financial institutions provide more and better products and services to these enterprises;

2.  Strengthened capacity of microfinance financial institutions as well as other formal and semiformal financial institutions to provide services in selected districts and,

3.  Improved financial capability of enterprises and households in priority districts.

The overall impact of the programme will be improved livelihoods in Nepal through the creation of around 88,000 sustainable new jobs, or job equivalents.

For More Information:     http://sakchyam.com.np/ 

Donor: DFID
Project Length: 60 months
Location: Mid and Far Western Regions