International Network of Alternative Financial Institution (INAFI)

INAFI (International Network of Alternative Financial Institutions) is a global network of development organisations active in support of savings and credit programmes of member organisations in Asia, Africa, Latin America and Eastern Europe. INAFI believes in the alternative paradigm of promoting holistic development for poverty reduction through beyond microfinance programmes, using microfinance as a development instrument. INAFI – INDIA looks at microfmance as a means to larger end of development that is poverty reduction in all dimensions not just financial / economic aspects.

INAFI brings together the microfinance practitioners at three levels global, regional and local. The local denotes the country level networks being promoted now in the Asia region. INAFI -INDIA is the country chapter of INAFI network in India and incorporated as a Section 25 not-for-profit Company.

Mission

• To contribute to eradication of causes of poverty, through organising efficient microfinance services including savings, credit, insurance, capacity building and also business development services to the most depressed human groups, especially women, as a part of a support process for sustainable development.
• To promote innovations and diversity of microfinance services and products that is effective and responsive to client needs.
• To provide and influence the strategic direction of the industry by promoting best practices and for pro-poor policy support in furthering microfinance services.

Objectives

The two-fold objectives of INAFI – INDIA are :

1. Contribution to Members

• Member graduation through capacity building-perspectives, systems, structures.
• Product Development.
• Specific Member Services.
• Up scaling of microfinance operations-linkage with banks.
• Evolving a framework of standards – Beyond Financials.
• Self-Regulation with SRO framework.

1. Contribution to Microfinance Sector

• Capacity Building of Small NGOs
• Research & Development
• Policy Advocacy and Lobby
• Enabling legal and regulatory framework

Membership

INAFI – INDIA at present has a membership base of twelve with wider geographical representation. Network members are distinct from each other in terms of context, outreach, service delivery mechanisms and structure. Together the members have an outreach close to 6 lakhs clients.

Presently INAFI – INDIA members are :

• DHAN Foundation, Madurai, Tamil Nadu
• MYRADA, Bangalore, Karnataka
• BAIF Development Research Foundation, Pune, Maharashtra
• People’s Rural Education Movement (PREM), Berhampur, Orissa
• South Indian Federation of Fisherman Societies (SIFFS), Trivandrum, Kerala
• Grameen Development Services, (GDS) Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh
• Kutch Mahila Vikas Sangathan, (KMVS) Bhuj, Gujarat
• Manavodaya, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh
• People Education Development Organisation (PEDO), Dungarpur, Rajasthan
• Integrated Village Development Project (IVDP), Krishnagiri, Tamilnadu
• Nav Bharat Jagriti Kendra (NBJK), Hazaribag Jharkhand
• Agha Khan Rural Support Programmes (AKRSP), Ahmedabad, Gujarat

NICHE

• Self Regulation

Self- regulation has been chosen as a INAFI – INDIA method for regulating growth and development of microfinance programmes of the people institutions with order and quality. A framework of standards under three major indictors namely developmental, institutional, and financial have been evolved by the member organisations with a view to facilitate the people institutions promoted by them to practice the self-regulation.

• Asset Building

Asset Building programme of the network seeks to work with member organizations with a view to recognise the utmost importance of navigating the microfinance to wards building up of the assets for the clients in a manner that provides livelihood security, hedge against risk and income security.

• Debt Swap:

INAFI INDIA as a network tries to address the issue of high indebtedness of the poor owing to long exposure to usury. Banking on the experience of microfinance in effectively addressing this problem, INAFI – INDIA is endeavoring to promote and navigate microfinance with specific focus on this serious issue of poverty, in collaboration with mainstream financial institutions.

Core Activities

• Capacity Building : to enhance the effectiveness of member practitioners in alleviating poverty and expanding outreach.
• Microfinance Road show / Lateral Learning Programme.
• Specialized Training Sessions and Workshops
• Thematic National and International Seminars
• Resource publications

• Research and Development: to identify new products and services, and improve the efficacy of existing best practices.
• Mainstreaming Gender
• Social Impact Assessment and Indicators
• Action Research on Self-Regulation and Asset Building
• Micro Insurance
• Pricing Policies

• Policy Advocacy : To shape the policies of the sector to support demand – driven development initiatives, and to advocate INAFI’s dual vision sustainability and impact.

• Policy workshops •  Position Papers     •  Policy Research

Networking

To strengthen and support the growth and development of the sector; benchmarking for better quality and standards; providing platform for sharing experiences and bringing new knowledge and innovations; enabling linkages with mainstream financial institutions and forging partnerships; building alliances with international Microfinance Networks and Global financial Institutions / Donor Agencies.

Contact:

INAFI-INDIA

International Network of Alternative Financial Institutions – INDIA

(Incorporated as Section 25 not-for-profit Company of Companies Act, 1956)

25-A, Bharathi 5th Street, S.S. Colony, Madurai – 625 010; Tamilnadu

Tel: 91-452-2300490, Fax: 91-452-2602247

Email: indiainafi@eth.net