Transforming Lives Through Financial Inclusion
The International Network of Alternative Financial Institutions (INAFI) was established in Cusco, Peru in March 1995 as a global network of practitioner microfinance institutions (MFIs). Its founding members are 25 non-governmental organizations (NGOs).
Today INAFI counts 146 member organizations, including four large networks, from 39 countries. Together they serve more than 26 million clients with a combined portfolio of USD750 million in credit and USD350 million in savings.
| INAFI Membership & Outreach |
| Continent |
Member MFIs |
No. of Countries |
Clients Served |
| Latin America |
29 |
9 |
2, 138, 000 |
| Africa |
48 |
24 |
3, 900, 000 |
| Asia |
69 |
6 |
20, 480, 000 |
| TOTAL |
146 |
39 |
26, 518, 000 |
More than one billion people in the world live on less than one dollar a day. Most of them are located in the underdeveloped regions of Asia, Africa, and Latin America, especially in rural areas that have no access to formal financial services.
Financial services are an effective means of enabling poor households to climb out of poverty. Through lower transaction costs and non-traditional lending and savings methodologies, customized financial services enable the poor to meet their financial needs, fulfill social and economic obligations, and become less vulnerable to internal and external shocks.
Sustained advocacy is crucial to creating an environment that brings about the effective delivery of financial services to the poor. Advocacy efforts ultimately result in increased awareness among donors and stakeholders, and therefore added support to the development of the microfinance industry.
After a survey from the University of Maastricht among 3000 migrants throughout our 10 European countries (Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, UK, Spain, Switzerland, Sweden) and 3 technical trainings on remittances in Dakar, Kampala, Addis Abeba with a diagnostic on remittances in our 10 MFIs (ACSI Ethiopia, SAT Ghana, Finance Trust Uganda, Pride Tanzania, Kafo Jiginew Mali, RCBP Burkina Faso, LAPO Nigeria, KWFT Kenya, Pamecas Senegal, Vital Benin), the new project manager designed a new action plan the first month of his arrival (september 2010)... READ MORE