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Workshop on Savings and Credits

Next Workshops

Refinancing of Rural and Agricultural Financial Institutions and Agricultural Production Co-operatives

Date: Friday, 15th May 2009 (9:15 to 16:00)

Location: SDC, Ausserholligen, Conference Room 3038, Bern

(Find the registration Form here.)

The next Savings & Credit Forum organised by Intercooperation on behalf of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) is dedicated to the topic of "Refinancing rural/agricultural financial institutions and agricultural production co-operatives". We will discuss both good practices in refinancing such institutions from the investor/donor perspective and the re-financing challenges posed by the current financial and food crises from the perspectives of rural/agricultural institutions and their investors. Case studies from Bulgaria, Togo and Nicaragua will illustrate how rural/agricultural financial institutions are facing the current challenges to their continued growth.
Mr. Florian Grohs, Regional Manager of Oikocredit in Central and Eastern Europe, will make a first presentation on the good practices in refinancing rural/agricultural financial institutions and production co-operatives. He will then provide us with his views on how the financial and food crises have impacted on the re-financing strategies of these institutions and how OikoCredit is responding to them.

Mr. Nikolay Draganov, MFI Analyst of Oikocredit Bulgaria, will illustrate how Oikocredit contributed with an incentives-based re-financing and strategic advice approach to the growth and institutional strengthening of rural/agricultural savings- and credit co-operatives in Bulgaria over the past ten years. These co-operatives constitute nowadays the primary source for agricultural credit in Bulgaria.

Mr. Freddy Ruiz, SDC National Programme Officer in Nicaragua (to be confirmed) will outline how the Fondo de Desarrollo Local (FDL), the major rural /agricultural financial institution in Nicaragua, is coping with the current financial and food crises.

Mr. Thierry Pleines from the Swiss NGO Brücke-Le Pont will illustrate how a small network of savings and credit co-operatives active in rural areas of Togo has gone through a capacity building process and managed to get international refinancing.

Looking forward to meet you in Bern on May 15th, we remain, with best regards.

Intercooperation Backstopping Team On behalf of SDC's Focal Point Employment and Income

Last Workshop [updated: 2008-10-16]

Community-managed Savings and Lending Approaches: Overview, VSLA model

Took place:
Date: Friday 29th of August 2008, 9:45 - 15:30
Place: Berne, Switzerland

Results are available in the download section.

General information

Held twice a year with focus on the task of learning as a joint venture, the workshop provides its participants with the opportunity to get an expert's view on the chosen topic and to exchange opinions and experiences.

Results are available in the download section.

Participants include collaborators of SDC, seco and other Swiss development organisations, but also consultants and bankers related to such topics.