Projects

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  Supporting MFIs to Develop Agri-Financing Products (ACPEU Microfinance Program), Africa

  MicroSave received a EURO 975,000 grant from the EU to provide technical assistance (TA) to carefully selected MFIs and microfinance banks in Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia and Ghana between August 2012 and December 2014 to develop agriculture financing products targeting smallholder farmers in diverse value chains.
   
  MicroSave in partnership with Cordaid has provided targeted TA to selected 7 MFI partners focusing on different agriculture value chain. These include Opportunity Bank Uganda (Sugar cane farming), UGAFODE Microfinance Ltd (Beef production) in Uganda, SMEP DTM Ltd in Kenya (Poultry farming) and Opportunity Kenya Ltd (Fresh milk) in Kenya, ACSI (Wheat) and Wasasa Microfinance (Coffee farming) in Ethiopia and Sinapi Savings and Loans (Maize) in Ghana. The TA support so far provided includes market research training and field based research to identify needs of smallholder farmers and financing opportunities for the MFIs.
  
  Further, Cordaid has provided the partners with simplified risk assessment skills and tools to help MFIs manage risks in agriculture lending. Additional support in agricultural linkages and pilot test is planned. Two of the partners, ACSI and Sinapi have launched lending projects to smallholder farmers in maize production (Northern Ghana) and wheat production (Amhara region) and so far have reached 2,000 clients in the first two months of pilot test. By the end of the project, MicroSave and Cordaid aim to have supported the MFIs develop viable agri-financing products, reached at least 10,000 smallholder farmers with financial services and agriculture oriented financial literacy. 

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  Designing Warehouse Receipt Financing Product, India

  MicroSave, assisted AMPL (MFI operating in Odisha state of India) to identify the need for warehouse receipt financing (WRF) for small and marginal farmers in the districts of Sambalpur and Kandhamal. MicroSave conducted a detailed review of the proposed WRF for AMPL and presented the potential models for the warehouse financing product. Through this intervention, MicroSave seeks to address the issue of distress selling of turmeric and chilli by small farmers to local traders immediately after the harvest due to poor storage facilities and lack of financing options. In addition, other key considerations for implementation of a robust WRF product were also assessed. 

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  Design of a Livelihood Intervention Strategy, Sri Lanka

  MicroSave assisted its partner Arthavida Foundation in Sri Lanka to study the existing supply chains of the agri-commodities and explore the financial and non-financial interventions that it can undertake. MicroSave, studied the supply chain for major agri commodities (like banana and vegetables) in 3 divisions of the Moneragala and Ratnapura districts, which fall in one of the most backward regions of Sri Lanka. We studied the existing supply chain bottlenecks and scope of intervention for Arthavida. The study will help Aathavida to build on its existing small tank modernisation programme. 

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  Study of Value Chains, the Philippines

  MicroSave assisted its partner TSKI to identify promising agri value chains for future intervention in the remote island of Samar, the Philippines. Owing to several structural and market related bottlenecks, TSKI faced major reverses in financing paddy cultivation in the region.  The task before MicroSave was to suggest alternative commodities where TSKI could identify both financial and non-financial interventions. MicroSave prepared detailed value chain maps, SWOT analysis, and intervention strategy along with time line for implementation in Copra and Paddy value chains.

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  Planning Income-Earning Opportunities in India

  MicroSave conducted a value-chain analysis for Masuta, a livelihood enterprise promoted by PRADAN (Professional Assistance for Development Action), to identify gaps, potential new incomes and a five-year roadmap for Masuta’s business planning. Proposals include increasing coverage of the livelihood enterprise from 500 members to 10,000 members in three years, and expanding from three districts to 22 districts in Jharkhand, India.

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  Agri-finance in Kenya

  SMEP DTM, a Kenyan MFI, provides credit to low-income households —although only one-fifth of the financing previously went to agriculture financing. MicroSave helped SMEP analyse this potential market segment in more depth and develop an agri-business strategy to expand these accounts and help small farmers in need of credit.

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  Water and Sanitation in Asia/Africa

  MicroSave worked with Tremolet Consulting as part of a research programme for the Sanitation and Hygiene Applied Research for Equity (SHARE) consortium to understand the role of microfinance in providing loans for water and sanitation. MicroSave conducted surveys and a detailed case study of MFIs in South India, and similar surveys in Tanzania and Kenya.

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  Livestock in Sierra Leone

  For the government’s National Commission for Social Action, MicroSave conducted a study on gaps, current challenges, and possible opportunities for the beef and dairy cattle, goat and sheep markets in the Koinadugu district to help devise a more workable strategy for NacSA’s Employment Promotion Programme.

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  Retail Assessment in India

  MicroSave designed and conducted studies tobuild a stronger brand and better market links for ESAF Swasraya Producer Company and ESAF Retail Private Ltd. These private sector groups operate in handicrafts, handlooms, plus herbal/medicinal plants and agricultural products with a strong focus on local involvement and development. MicroSave is also working with two other farmers’ cooperatives in Aloe Vera and rice production.

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  Water and Sanitation Financing in India

  Water.org, a non-profit developmental aid group focused on safe drinking water and better sanitation, engaged MicroSave to conduct a market-assessment study in south-central India. The primary objectives were to understand water and sanitation infrastructure, usage, accessibility, quality, and affordability for MFI clients in the region in order to help MFIs scale up financing.