FULL TITLE: Entering the Field: Learning the Basics of Starting a Microfinance Program ROOM: Tsavo B Facilitated by Oxfam America: Mr. Jeff Ashe (USA) Mr. Soumaila Sogoba (Mali)

1. ENTERING THE FIELD: LEARNING THE BASICS OF
STRATING A MICROFINANCE PROGRAM
The case of Saving for Change in Mali.
Arica-Middle East Regional Microcredit Summit.
Nairobi,April 2010

2. CONTENTS
1. Local partner selection
2. Zones identification
2. Community mobilization
3.Groups training
4. Replicators selection
5. Coordinators' support
6. Tools.

3. Local Partner Selection
• Very critical :
– to reduce costs and also help in effective implementation in very
short period of time
– because some villager in Mali have been cheated by dubious
organizations
• Criteria for selection:
– the local organisation – provides effective services, well regarded by
peers and donors, audited financial statements
– legal certification in the country
– experience in MFI operation is not required to launch a Saving for
Change program.
• Field assessment :
– field visit and meeting with the villagers to assess the NGO
knowledge for the area, its relationship with villagers and its
credibility.
– Test villagers opinion about the program.

4. Zone identification
• The area of one saving for Change project
– At least 200 villages for a team of 10 field agents (called
animators) and 1 coordinator for 3 years.
– Each animator is responsible from 20 to 30 villages based
on geographical proximity .
• Contact with local authorities
– Visit/meeting with mayors introduce the program and confirm
the list of the commune villages, the population and their
location.
- Sometimes it is necessary for the local government to
introduce the animators in the village but it depends on how
well the NGO is known in the community.
• Mapping of the area by the animators to know the
actual location of villages

5. Community Mobilization
• Step 1: Meet with the chiefs of the village and
the religions/traditional authorities to introduce
the program
• Step 2 Meeting with the whole community
(leaders, the representatives of women, youths)
– An explanation on the program
– Who is to be included, how long intervention will last.
– Benefits that the community can derive by participating in
the program.

6. Community Mobilization
• Step 3: Meet with chiefs of the households
and the leaders
– Have their support in facilitating their wives participation
to the group weekly meeting
– Clarify the replication strategy for group creation,

7. Community Mobilization
• Step 4: Meeting with all women in the village.
– Explain/Promote the program to all women in the village
– Explain our strategy
– Measure the level of agreement for the program
NB: The main thing to clarify during all these meetings is
that we are not going to provide money to the group either
by way of a grant or a matching fund. All the funds of the
groups are saved by the group and all the loans given by
the group come from this savings.

8. Group training

9. Group training
The training is based on the “Group creation Guide”.
This Guide includes 2 parts:
Part One
Meeting 1 : The promotion and Savings Group Registration,
• Objective
• Compare current savings practices with a Savings Group.
• Identify the importance of saving in a group.
• Decide whether they want to join a Savings Group.
Meeting 2 : Savings Group Registration
• Objective
• Register their name to be part of a Savings Group.
• Review the phases of Savings Group development and schedule of visits by
the animator.
• Establish a schedule for Savings Group Training

10. Group training
• Part two : Training Meetings
• Meeting 1 : Savings Group Organization
Objective
– Correct the list of members, if necessary.
– Reflect on the benefits of membership in a Savings
Group.
– Discuss member responsibilities.

11. Group training
• Meeting 2: Management Committee
Election
Objective
– Identify the qualities of a good Management
Committee and elect qualified members to those
positions.
– Plan how to get a cashbox, lock and key.

12. Group training
• Meeting 3:. Savings Group Name, Goals
and Size
Objective
– Decide on a name for their Savings Group.
– Decide the financial and social goals for their
Savings Group.
– Discuss what a good group size is.

13. Group training
• Meeting 4: Attendance, Savings Amount
and Fines
Objective
– Decide the savings amount.
– Decide on fines for not attending or saving.

14. Group training
• Meeting 5: Member/Helper
Objective
– Meeting Agenda
– Review the responsibilities of the Helper and
the Member.
– Discuss the steps of a meeting.
– Begin saving.

15. Group training
• Meeting 5: Fund Utilization and Lending
Policies
Objective
– Examine the portion of their group fund to lend
out.
– Decide on size the loan period.

16. Group training
• 7. Lending Policies
• Objective
• Decide the interest rate for loans from the
group fund.
• Decide the amount of fines for late interest
or loan payments.

17. Group training
• Meeting 8: Fund Distribution and
Lending
Objective
– Decide the frequency for group fund
distribution.
– Begun lending

18. Replicators selection

19. Replicators selection
• How to do it
– Observe all group members
– Identify those who attend more meetings and seem to
understand the activities of groups and the learning
Conversations.
– Choose them as replicators
• Criteria
– Person who can express easily her ideas in meetings.
– Have time
– Be motivated.
• Training and tools
– 3 days training outside their village,
– Receive pictorial manual

20. Replicators selection
Process of creating groups by animators and replicator
• The process of creating groups by the facilitator and
agent replicator is as shown in the table below:
..Groups creation.doc

21. Group assessment

22. Group assessment
• After 8 sessions to train the group and 7
malaria training sessions.
• Tool used: Group assessment tools.doc

23. Group assessment
•PHASE 1: Training (Months 1 to 6)
• A group of 15 to 25 like-minded women decide to form a
Savings Group to achieve their goals.
• The animator guides the members to make decisions about their
Management Committee, how much to save and how much
interest to charge.
• The animator trains members to make loans with their savings
and pay back loans with interest.
• The animator teaches members about health, business and
money management.
• The animator identifies, trains and coaches 2 members to
become replicators and form new groups.
• During phase 1, the animator goes to the Savings Group’s
weekly meetings.

24. Group assessment
•PHASE 2: Monitoring (Months 7 to 12)
• During phase 2, the animator monitors the Savings
Group as the members continue to save and lend
with interest.
• The animator observes the meeting activities and
answers any questions.
• The animator continues to teach members about
health, business and money management.
• The animator continues to coach replicators to form
new groups.
• At the end of phase 2, the members distribute the
group fund among themselves.
• During phase 2, the animator goes to Savings Group
meetings every 2 weeks or once a month.

25. Group assessment
•PHASE 2: Ongoing (after completing phase 2)
• After completing phase 2, the animator visits
periodically to see how the Savings group is working
and to offer additional training.
• The animator continues to teach members about
health, business and money management.
• The animator supports replicators to form new
groups.
• After completing phase 2, the animator goes to
Savings Group meetings every 3 months.

26. Coordinator’s support

27. Coordinator’s support
• Supervise the animators
• Provide them advices and
• Make an operational plan for the organisation with
Objectives, indicators,
• Help animators to make their individual monthly
work plan for the
• Evaluate the progress and the performance of each
animator.
• Give feedback to animators while (s) he is
facilitating the group training
• Using the tool : Checklist for Animation Style.doc
• Fill the MIS for the monitoring and assessment.

28. Steps of meeting in Oral keeping system
• Why?
– Because of the low rate of literacy of our target,
– To involve all the groups members in the
activities of the groups.

29. Steps of meeting in Oral keeping system
• Check attendance
– The President calls the meeting to order.
– The President announces members’ names,
one by one, from left to right in the order in
which they are sitting to take attendance.
– Members say “Present” when their names
are announced.
– If a member is not present, the President
asks the Helper to remember her Member’s
fine for the next meeting.

30. Steps of meeting in Oral keeping system
• Recite rules
– The President asks the members to recite
the rules of the group.
– Members recite the rules of the group.
• Participate in a learning session
– The animator or replicator facilitates a
learning session with the group.
– Members participate in a learning session.

31. Steps of meeting in Oral keeping system
• Open the cashbox
• Hand over key and cashbox
– The Cashbox Holder hands over the
cashbox to the Cashier.
– The Key Holder hands over the key to
the Cashier.

32. Steps of meeting in Oral keeping system
• Members call out amount in cashbox
– The President asks all the members to
announce the amount they remember as
the final amount from the previous
meeting.
(Note: The beginning amount
in the cashbox should equal the final
amount from the previous meeting.)

33. Step of meeting in Oral keeping system
• Treasurer unlocks and opens cashbox
• The Cashier unlocks and opens the
cashbox.

34. Steps of meeting in Oral keeping system
Treasurer ashier counts and announces amount in
Cashbox
• Treasurer counts the money in the
cashbox and announces the amount to
the members.
If the amount equals the amount from
the previous meeting, the meeting goes
as planned.
• If the amounts are not the same, then the
Treasurer does a recount to see if there
was an error in counting.
• The meeting continues only when the
amount of money in the cashbox is the
same as what members remember as the
final amount from the previous meeting.
• If the 2 amounts do not match, then the
group needs to discuss and decide the
action to take.

35. Steps of meeting in Oral keeping system
Collect fines and missed payments
Call out and pay fines and payments
• The President asks all Helpers
remembering fines from previous
meetings to raise their hands.
• The President announces the Helpers’
names, one by one, from left to right in
the order in which they are sitting and
asks them to announce fines and missed
payments owed.
• The Helper announces her Member’s
name and the fine owed.
The Member comes forward and
announces to the group: “I am paying a
fine of _______ (amount)” and pays the
fine and missed payment to the Cashier

36. THANK YOU