The First MicroBank Mozambique is Inaugurated as a Rural Microfinance Bank.

Pemba, Mozambique, 8 May 2010 - The First MicroBank Mozambique (FMB-M) was inaugurated today, in a ceremony attended by President Armando Guebuza of Mozambique and Governor Eliseu Machava of Cabo Delgado.
Other officials included Mr. Nazim Ahmad, Representative of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) in Mozambique, Mr. Jacques Toureille, the General Manager of the Aga Khan Agency for Microfinance (AKAM), as well as members of the local and provincial government, officials from the Central Bank, members of the diplomatic corps in Mozambique, and senior staff from the AKDN and its agencies.

http://www.akdn.org/Content/987

The First MicroFinanceBank Ltd and Pakistan Post Office Agree to Expand Microfinance Services for the Poor

Islamabad, 28 January 2010 - The First MicroFinanceBank Ltd - Pakistan (FMFB-P) and the Pakistan Post Office (PPO) will further expand operations to provide microfinance services through post offices. Ghulam Panjtan Rizvi, Additional Director General Financial Services, Pakistan Post and Hussain Tejany, President of The First MicroFinanceBank, signed the agreement. Muhammad Ahmed Mian, Director General of Pakistan Post was also present at the occasion.




Originally created in 2008, the unique public-private partnership has allowed rapid scaling up of quality microfinance services to very poor populations residing in both remote rural areas and urban areas of Pakistan. The agreement is particularly important for reaching rural areas of Sind and Punjab where there are no banking services for the poor. Over 88,000 loans amounting to PKR 1.3 billion were disbursed in 2009. Over 20 percent of the loans were made to women entrepreneurs.



“Our partnership with the Pakistan Post, which has an extensive network of Sub Offices (SO) across Pakistan, has enabled FMFB to reach out to the remote and vulnerable poor by providing microfinance services through 68 PPO Sub Offices,” said Hussain Tejany, President of FMFB. “We now have the confidence to take this partnership forward and expand our operations through the PPO network in the next three years. We will continue to focus on impoverished areas of Sindh and Punjab.”



The First MicroFinanceBank Ltd, a part of the Aga Khan Agency for Microfinance (AKAM), is a non-commercial, private sector microfinance bank licensed by the State Bank of Pakistan. FMFB strives to alleviate poverty through sustainable economic development by offering credit, savings and life insurance services along with efficient, low cost funds-transfer services. It operates in 157 locations, including 89 automated branches all over Pakistan, as well as through 68 Pakistan Post outlets. As of December 2009, FMFB had disbursed over PKR 12 billion (US$ 142 million) in the form of 677,000 loans while generating a deposit base of PKR 5.2 billion (US$ 61.9 million). FMFB has been ranked as seventh among the top 100 Micro-finance Institutions of the world by the World Bank affiliate, CGAP.



For further details, please contact:



Salimah Shiraj

Head of Communications & Brand Management

The First MicroFinanceBank Ltd

Tel: +92-21-35822432, 35370095

Fax: +92-21-35822434

Email: salimah.shiraj@mfb.com.pk


http://www.akdn.org/Content/961





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Employment opportunities with The First MicroFinance Institution

Employment opportunities with The First MicroFinance Institution

The First MicroFinance Institution (FMFI-Syria) is a legal and independent entity registered under the commercial registry No. 15488 date: 04/09/2008, established by the Aga Khan Agency for Microfinance (AKAM) which is one of the Aga Khan Development Network Agencies. Its mandate is to alleviate poverty, diminish the vulnerability of poor populations and reduce economic and social exclusion by establishing sustainable institutions that extend a broad range of innovative financial services to underserved population.

FMFI-Syria is currently seeking applicants for the following full time positions that are based in the Institution’s Branches in each of the following cities: Damascus, Aleppo, Lattakia, Tartous, Salamieh, Sweida, Mesiaf and Homs:

1) Loan Officers & Deposit Officers

2) Customer Care Coordinators

3) Cashiers

Successful Candidates should:

• Have Intermediate Degree in Banking, Commerce and/or any related field;
• Have One (1) year experience in related field. Having hands-on experience in Commercial and/or Microfinance banking would be an asset;
• Possess good communication and negotiation skills;
• Having an acceptable level of proficiency in both spoken and written English;
• Be able to work under pressure and willing to travel in Syria.

4) System Support Assistant (Residing in Tartous)

The incumbent of the position is responsible for extending technical assistance in terms of networking, trouble shooting and operating systems for three Branches in Tartous, Lattakia and Mesiaf in full coordination and supervision of the IT Manager at the Head Office in Damascus.

5) System Support Assistant (Residing in Sweida)

The incumbent of the position is responsible for entering and processing all data and producing the daily and monthly database reports of the Branch, and extending technical assistance in terms of networking, trouble shooting and operating systems for the Branch in Sweida in full coordination and supervision of the IT Manager at the Head Office in Damascus.

Successful Candidates should:

• Have BS in Computer Science or Intermediate Certificate in Information Technology;
• Have at least Two (2) years experience in related field. Having hands-on experience in Commercial and/or Microfinance banking would be an asset;
• Possess strong software and hardware computing skills and knowledge;
• Have good interpersonal, problem solving and communication skills;
• Have an acceptable level of proficiency in both spoken and written English;
• Be able to work under pressure and willing to travel in Syria.

Interested applicants are invited to submit a cover letter expressing their interest quoting one of the above positions and a resume providing complete personal data together with employment history, along with names of three professional referees to the following address:

The First MicroFinance Institution (FMFI-Syria)

Al-Mazraa, Amr Bin Kolthoum Str. Bldg. No. 1

Damascus, Syria

Email address: FMFIJOBS@akdn.org

Deadline for applications submission: 30 July 2009

Only short listed candidates will be contacted

http://www.syria-report.com/article.asp?id=3462&rub=25



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Aga Khan in Berlin 2009

His Highness the Aga Khan arrived in Berlin yesterday for a two-day official visit to hold talks with Chancellor Angela Merkel, Vice-Chancellor and Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, and Development Minister Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul.
The meetings focused on the expansion of activities since the signing of an agreement in 2004 between the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) to deepen cooperation in regions of mutual interest. The meetings also highlighted the need for attention to the situation in developing countries in Africa and Asia given current global economic and financial challenges.
Since the signing of the Agreement, new collaboration has occurred in five sectors, namely health, education, urban and rural development, microfinance and food security in Afghanistan, Egypt, Pakistan and Tajikistan.
In Afghanistan, AKDN’s collaboration with Germany has centred on social development , including in infrastructure, education and food security in Badakhshan and cultural projects such as the rehabilitation of Bagh e Babur, a walled and terraced garden containing the tomb of Babur, the founder of the Mughal Empire.
KfW remains an important partner with both the Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development and the Aga Khan Agency for Microfinance (AKAM) providing financial and technical assistance, covering Africa, Central Asia and the Middle East.
The University of Central Asia’s collaboration with the German Government and academic institutions focuses on faculty development, building capacity and increasing the scope of teaching at the University’s School of Professional and Continuing Education. Notable amongst projects in Africa on which the AKDN and Germany are partnering is the Bujagali Hydroelectric Power Plant in Uganda, the largest, independent power project in sub-Saharan Africa. The AKDN and German institutions have also begun to work on a study of immigrant communities in Germany, and on the ways in which social and economic inclusion amongst communities of immigrant origin can be more effective. This initiative would draw on the AKDN’s experience in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Tajikistan amongst other countries as well as in a number of Western countries, amongst them Portugal, the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States.
The Aga Khan was last in Berlin in November 2007 when he delivered a keynote address at a conference entitled, "Central Asia and Europe: A New Economic Partnership for the 21st Century" hosted by the German Federal Foreign Office and the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECA). The conference was the first major international gathering to review prospects for partnership in the region

More>>>>>> http://www.akdn.org/press_release.asp?ID=752


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Aga Khan Agency for Microfinance (AKAM)

Introduction

Since its establishment in 2005, the Aga Khan Agency for Microfinance (AKAM) has taken over 25 years of microfinance activities, programmes and banks that were administered by sister agencies within the Aga Khan Development Network. The underlying objectives of the Agency are to reduce poverty, diminish the vulnerability of poor populations and alleviate economic and social exclusion.

AKAM is a not-for-profit, non-denominational, international development agency created under Swiss law. Its headquarters are in Geneva, Switzerland. It is governed by an independent Board of Directors. The Chairman of the Board is His Highness the Aga Khan.

Source:http://www.akdn.org/akam



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