AMIR seeks to instill CPPs in MFIs practitioners as a boosting approach to deliver quality services to clients in the microfinance sector
Rwanda celebrated the Microfinance week from 16th to 20th October 2017. The theme for this year was “Quality service delivery, a key foundation for a sustainably developed and self-reliant MFI.” Rwanda Microfinance Week normally it is organized by the Association of Microfinance Institutions in Rwanda (AMIR) and sector partners. Based on AMIR’s strategic plan, Rwanda Microfinance Week (RMW) is a fundamental component in AMIR’s advocacy and communication strategy.
Rwanda Microfinance Week involved coordinated activities which took place throughout a week across the country. The implemented activities included the following: CEO Round table meetings; selection of best performing institutions (Microfinance Institutions/ MFIs and SACCOs); and Media Reporting Tour. For its first time ever, AMIR decided to involve sector partners mainly in the area of client protection and education: namely par excellence the Rwanda Governance Board (RGB).
CEO Round table meetings took place in all provinces in the following districts: Musanze; Karongi, Kigali/ Gasabo; Nyanza, and Rwamagana. Approximately, the meetings were attended by 500 managers of SACCOs and MFIs across the country.
CEO roundtable meetings brought together all MFI/SACCO practitioners, partners, and local authorities to share best practices and discuss sector challenges, agree on recommendations and way forward. This year, 2017, consumer protection was added on the list of priorities in the awareness events.
The selection and awarding process of best performing MFI/ SACCO, client protection was basically one of the selection criteria. The related questionnaire had been sent to all AMIR members and the latter replied indicating their best practices as regards to Client Protection Principles.
Client Protection is under the Responsible Finance through Local Leadership and Learning (RFL3) project that AMIR is implementing with funding support of SEEP since 2016. RFL3 aims at promoting client protection and education in Rwanda.
Specific objectives of RMW2017:
- Sharing AMIR’s achievements in professionalizing the microfinance sector of Rwanda.
- Acknowledging joint efforts of partners working toward supporting microfinance development in Rwanda
- Raise awareness of the existing advocacy issues that face microfinance practitioners in Rwanda thus a call for action.
- Raise awareness of Financial Education and Consumer Protection sharing information and the best practices within the sector
