When one door closes, another opens … Bye #microstart Hello #francinecarron #independent #financialinclusion #consultant @uncdf @accion_global @cgap_org website at www.francinecarron.com #microcredit #microloan #microlease #microsavings #microfinance
Today our office at the honour to launch the 5th edition of the annual Week of microcredit. During this week we promote the power of entrepreneurship in Belgium. We try to show Europe that Microfinance is a tool out of poverty and battles social exclusion. More events to come and will be posted.
European Commissioner, Marianne Thyssen pledge her support to fight poverty through Microfinance and entrepreneurship. She had the opportunity to meet Entrepreneur Author of Nigerian descent Chris Dahi, Joan’s manicure and pedicure, Slavica’s cupcakes, Ciprian Petcu of Adhoc catering and King Franky of Shakuma Fitness. Also present were CEO of VDAB Fons Leroy, Minister of State Ph.Maystad, CEO of Microfinance agency Hefboom and Maria Nowak of ADIE International!
Microfinance customer of the week! Last one for 2015
The choice of this week goes to Austin who set up Austin Beenhouwerij in the area zip coded 2060 in Antwerp. Austin Beenhouwerij as it is called is located in the Dambruggestraat 26, right by our microStart office. Austin, is the first black butcher (Nigerian origin) in the neighbourhood and maybe even in town. His customers arent only Africans but everyone in the neighbourhood and those who would like to visit the black butcher ! Austin, barely has any private time as the line outside his office is huge. Austin created a well running in a very short time. He definitely is a poster entrepreneur for the saying ‘Entrepreneurship is the new retirement’.
Customer of the week! Dave Van Luyck, chocolatier in Herentals.
Have you ever eaten chocolate with crickets Inside? Well have a taste of Dave Van Luyck chocolates with blended crickets! Dave started his chocolatier business in 2003 and before that he was an experienced chef. Dave is a very hardworking person and his chocolates are delicious. He has made chocolates for microStart as well with our own logo! Again Delicious! Read more about Dave and the Crickets pralines here: http://www.gva.be/cnt/dmf20151210_02015506/herentalse-chocolatier-lanceert-krekeltje
The year is ending and the agencies are preparing for the yearly report. As every year Nathalie Hill, professional photographer tours the clients with us. I snapped a few photos in the meanwhile. Another round of photographs will be taken soon.
This week’s customer of the week is Shakuma Fitness, owner Francis Abutoh aka King Franky! This week was our 1 year anniversary week and we had invited Shakuma Fitness to set in the 2nd year. The owner, King Franky of Nigerian descent has been working for years on this project and every year it has been growing bit by bit. Shakuma is African fitness, we all tried it outside our office and I assure you the workout is not a joke. After 10 minutes we were beat! However, the rhythms of the African beat keeps you going. The concept could be compared to Zumba but much better. Shakuma Fitness is now selling licences for franchises. Do you want to become a Shakuma instructor or bring the concept to your country? Contact us for details of King Franky! & help make this entrepreneur big. He deserves it!
Microcredit Customer of the week = Ecopra Caffungi , growing mushrooms on coffee residue
Less than a year ago, Ecopra knocked on our door for a micro loan. They were crazy enthusiast for bringing their new product to the market. The idea was to collect coffee residue from local bars with a bike and produce mushrooms by using the coffee residue. The owners were so enthusiast, that I could only accept support their project. Off course their financial plan was also well developed but at microStart we first look at the person. In this case, the owners were/ are very trustworthy and their project was very good. The first idea was to conduct only B2B. However, the first half a year was a bumpy road. They were forced to take a second microcredit due to liquidity issues. The team proved to be resilient and changed the focus to B2C. Ecopra, under the label Caffungi now produces mushroom kit. This kit holds coffee residue and the mushroom can grow easily in your home. I had the chance to taste these mushrooms and I must say, they were delicious! This weekend Ecopra launches Caffungi in Carrefour Schoten, one of the largest retailers in Belgium. We wish them a lot of success and I can’t wait to purchase one of this kits myself!
Watch the video (in Dutch) here: http://atv.be/nieuws/antwerpse-chefs-prijzen-zelfgekweekte-oesterzwammen-aan-20191#.VjkLmkbF4Fw.facebook
Toets aan de markt, is een workshop in het project Start van Starterslabo. Kandidaten stellen hun project voor. Ik mocht zetelen in de jury samen met Wilfied Marien van PMV Vlaanderen, de organisatie die startersleningen geeft aan (aspirant) ondernemers met zeer gunstige interestvoeten die niet bij de bank terecht kunnen. Net zoals microStart maar zonder begeleiding, sociale inslag en hogere bedragen. Een microkrediet van microStart telt als eigen inbreng bij PMV. Hierdoor kunnen starters met meer middelen opstarten en of uitbreiden indien het nodig is. microStart X PMV is een mooie samenwerking waar reeds vele klanten mee gediend zijn geweest.
Ideaal dat Wilfried en ik dan in de jury zaten. De cursisten van Starterslabo stelde zeer leuke projecten voor: veganistische catering, tentenverhuur, lokaal gidsen, financieel makelaar, crystal stenen verkoper, shiatsu massage en meubelstoffeerder. 6 van de 7 projecten had zeker potentieel. Hieronder enkel foto’s van de aspirant ondernemers. Ik hoop dat zij alle 6 hun ondernemersloon waarmaken want ik ben alvast toekomstige klant van een aantal producten!
In 2 weeks we are celebrating 1 year official opening of microStart Antwerp. I can’t believe that the official opening was 18 November 2014. So many things have happened ever since. I started setting up microStart Antwerp in March 2014. In the beginning I didn’t have an office and a lot of people came to my house. I saw other people in their own business or in restaurants and bars. It was difficult to work, yet I arrived at 40 micro credits before I hired a microcredit advisor. In August 2014, we both worked side by side to make sure that we could open the microcredit agency before the end of the year. Pieter Vermeyen, my first advisor of microStart and I worked on the average more than 12 hours a day. In the summer I remodelled an old BNP Paribas office and on November 18 2014 we opened our office officially. Here a few photos to what our office used to look like…
This is what the original BNP Paribas office looked like before we tore it all dozn to create microStart Antwerp.
Tearing it all down….
Coolest CEO in Microfinance
This price goes to Patrick Sapy, CEO of microStart and head of the European Microfinance Network!
He matched his socks with our microStart logo and business meetings. For me that’s a great way of saying, Happy Halloween!
Benevolab, the volunteer organisation of BNP organised a walking dinner presenting ‘Investing in Microfinance’ by Fadoua Boudiba, invest manager MENA at Incofin. This presentation was very interesting laying out the key aspects on why an investment management firm would invest in a Microfinance agency. She took us through the entire due diligence process. This gives me ideas that should use her due diligence process on our own microStart Antwerp agency. Fadoua Boudiba, presented us the case of Faten, a Palestian Microfinance institution. She also presented the tools that can be used and checked in a MFI. A few are listed below:
PiiF principles for investors in inclusive finance ( principles for responsible investment )
Social performance task force (sptf)
Smart Campaign.
Mftransparency
Responsible lending
(AML check)
Echos tool
Mixmarket.com
Planet finance
The event continued by BNP Paribas Benevolab presenting a few volunteers that have completed missions abroad. These were Jan Populaire whom completed a mission at ADSJ in Lome, Togo and Magali Henry who completed a mission in Rwanda, Gitarama. There was a large turn up of potential volunteers for Benevolab and funny enough these volunteers are also microStart volunteers. The microStart x BNP volunteers are also Exchange volunteers! Well everyone contributes and gives back. Every good event should always come with a free goodie so we received a book 'La course de Microfinance’. An eventing can never go wrong with s free book!!
Many of you, send me messages whether my blog would stop after the mission in Rwanda. Off course it won’t stop! Microfinance is my job but it is also my life, my lifestyle and so this blog won’t stop, my work continues.
Yesterday was the first European Microfinance Day, this initiative was developed by the European Microfinance Network (EMN) and the Microfinance Centre (MFC). The 1st European Microfinance Day (EMD), 20th October 2015, aimed at raising awareness of microfinance as a tool to fight social exclusion and unemployment in Europe. The event helped political decision makers to understand the benefits of microfinance and gave them some lines of a policy agenda for the development of the sector. It also drew the attention of European media to show how microfinance actually works in Europe. At the same time EMD showed support to European citizens, unemployed or excluded from the traditional financial sector. The event was inaugurated by her Royal Highness Queen Mathilde of Belgium.
(Photo of Queen Mathilde of Belgium, smiling at the 1st European microfinance day.)
Maria Nowak, founder of the largest microfinance agency in France, ADIE: L’association pour le droit à l’initative économique; sitting next to Queen Mathilde of Belgium.
The welcome note was given by the Belgian Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs, Skills and Labour Mobility, Ms Marianne Thyssen. (See below in photo.)
The speakers’ panel was composed of MEP, Group of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats), Dr Paul Rübig; Vice-President of the European Investment Bank (EIB), Mr Pim Van Ballekom; Former President of the European Investment Bank (EIB) and President of microStart, Mr Philippe Maystadt. Patrick Sapy, General Manager at microStart (YES, YES OUR CEO )and President of EMN, and Ms Lucija Popovska,
Habitat for Humanity International and Board member of the Microfinance Centre, chaired the high
level opening session for the First European Microfinance Network!
In this photo, Patrick Sapy, CEO of microStart and President of EMN sitting next to Belgian Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs, Skills and Labour Mobility, Ms Marianne Thyssen.
Questions raised to stakeholders were the following:
1. Is the current Microfinance definition appropriate for the sector? 2. Are the EU programmes for Microfinance conveniently designed and implemented for the sector’s needs? 3. How could the different regulatory frameworks at national level be better adapted to the development of the sector? 4. Should the EU programmes reinforce specific support measures for the provision of all the non-financial services offered by the sector?
Our CEO, had asked to select as one of the guests, a microfinance customer from the 5 microStart offices in Belgium In Antwerp, we had selected Francis Abutoh, King Franky (of Nigerian origin) owner of Shakuma Fitness. King Franky reinvented fitness by meeting African rhythms. Everyone loved Zumba Fitness and I am convinced that King Franky will conquer the world with Shakuma Fitness! He is a fighter, a great entrepreneur and definitely knows how to shaket that bum bum. Next to Shakuma fitness, he is also starting up, an African fitness fashion line. I am definitely, customer to his new urban wear collection.
Our microfinance Antwerp entrepreneur, Francis Abutoh aka King Franky, owner of Shakuma Fitness sitting next to Maria Nowak, Founder of ADIE and HRH Queen Mathilde of Belgium. He didn’t get the chance to speak to her but he sure got a good picture with her. Too bad, he didn’t get a chance to invite her to join Shakuma because I am sure she would have loved it!
The Queen seemed very happy at the event and I hope she continues to support microfinance in Belgium!
The first European microfinance day was in partnership with European Economic and Social Committee & supported by European Investment Fund, European Investment Bank, European Investment Bank Institute, The government of Luxemburg and with financial support of the European Commission.
Day 2 at CPF Ineza
Now that the first mission and holiday is over, my body has slipped back into its natural routine. CPF Ineza, the microfinance agency I am now working for has its opening’s hours from 7AM to 8PM. I thought that we worked hard at microStart. I guess I was wrong. We work long hours but not 6 on 7 like that! That meant that I have to wake up for work super early again! Pshhttt…
The weather is quite cold and I am not prepared for it. Gitarama is cold. Last night I slept in a sleeping bag underneath the comforter with an extra blanket. I was freezing and the hotel doesn’t have heaters. I never thought that it could get so cold in Rwanda, while not being on a mountain. I have a severe cold, hopefully I am not getting the flu. I would be upset if I return home with the flu from Africa.
I am staying in a nice hotel in Gitarama. I told Cyrille from Exchange that I wasn’t going to stay in some priest, sister or silly guesthouse again. Those two weeks in Gisenyi with the priest was more than enough. A little comfort is needed while being sick. Cyrille brought me to the Splendid, another consultant had stayed here before. Splendid it is.
Yesterday, I covered with the manager of CPF Ineza the status quo of the microfinance agency. Although, waking up sick I was on a mission to complete a business plan in 2 day. When I arrived at work, I was ready to attack but I was dragged into the back room. Every morning starts with a prayer. I thought oh nooo… now I am going to lose another hour of my day.
The prayer started with nice songs in Kinyarwanda. After that I was warmly welcomed by all the staff and a passage from the Bible was read out loud. Everyone then could ask God what they wanted for the day. When it was my turn, I said I needed a divine intervention on this business plan. Blessings were coming my way and more prayers. I should have taken the bottle of Holy Water to sprinkle the office. I told the bookkeeper that I had sprinkled my laptop with Holy water so whatever business plan I was going to write, it would be divine. They prayed for their manager, who had traveled to Kigali this morning for a training with Amir. They prayed for each other. I wonder if Ankelien and Pieter would pray for me as their manager in the morning and then I would bless them. Food for thought for a new morning routine. Hehe…. They also prayed for the European refugee crisis. They prayed for Europe. This was strange. I wonder they said that because I was there. I thought to myself instead of praying for Europe, you need to pray for the refugees.
Vous êtes une religieuse Madame. Oui Oui I say fast. Then the questions come are you married, children, divorce oh no; c'est horrible! The entire month has been about me needing to get married and multiply. My mother had also been breaking my head about me living in sin. Unmarried, no that’s not what we do. Obey your husband is the message I keep getting everywhere. The bookkeeper told me he made a prayer so that I will marry upon my return in Belgium. Seriously, I have a job to do here.
With lots of concentration, I start 40 minutes later on the business plan. My mission was to finish the written part before lunch. Pierre, the bookkeeper brought me African tea (ginger tea with milk) with cookies. I brought my own blanket at work as I was afraid to be cold. I had wrapped myself in the blanket and hunched over my laptop. The African tea felt good. I have gotten used to the taste and now I can drink this strange combination all the time. Pierre keeps asking me to pause. I get fed up, Numerien used to ask me that too. Off course I want to pause but you have given me so much work that I can’t pause !
Finally, the literature part of the business plan is completed. Pierre wants to go to lunch with me. I got nauseas when he said that. Yesterday, we had lunch in the Parish slash mall slash supermarket slash rooms slash conference center slash restaurant owned by another pastor. The buffet existed out of two types of potatoes, bananas, manioc, two types of rice and two types of pasta. Carbs, carbs and carbs again. I shoved 1 type of pasta, 1 type of rice and 1 type of potato down my throat. Oh and I get a boiled egg on top. The food was beyond bland and I decided to drip chilli oil over it to hide the taste. No, no Francine wasn’t going back to the pastor super center slash everything.
I told Pierre, I needed to return to the hotel to get my medicine. He said no problem I will wait for you in the restaurant. Aghhh, he didn’t get the point. Ok let me try this again. I am too sick to eat so I can’t join for lunch. Finally, he got the point. I went to the hotel for lunch, hehe. However, it was rather disappointing I found again potatoes, spaghetti and rice but they had bouillon soup. Three plates of bouillon soup for lunch then.
I head back to the office to kill this plan. Pierre hadn’t made it back. Gitarama isn’t really a happening town. Very boring. I could never stay here more than 3 days. If there is ever a 2 week mission in Gitarama, I will have to politely decline.
After some time, Pierre walks in and sees me number crunching. We are now on the financial part of the plan. He gave me a little help but I expected much more. Jean de adieu and I had worked so hard together on the financial plan of the Union. This time I was on my own. I had to create context from numbers and papers but with divine intervention everything would turn out alright. Pierre told me if you believe, everything is possible. So let’s see about this.
It’s getting very dark outside and I am still number crunching. The Microfinance agency is full of people. Everyone comes late in the night. On one of the doors in the office, I notice a sign VIP. VIP in a Microfinance office ? Really? The smallest loan is 10000 Rwandan Francs about 12 Euro. So I am guessing VIP customers are 50 euro?! Not sure. The Microfinance agency runs different than microStart. They want profits; I don’t like that. I don’t agree with making profits on the poor. Interest rates are accordingly in the country and in CPF Ineza they vary between 18 and 24 % annually. What’s good about this cooperative is that they also provide microsavings as of 500 Rwandan Francs, 7.5 euro. Their products are according to sector. This is a tip, I am taking home to microStart and the interest rates are negotiable.
Finally, the plan is finished. I have arrived. My neck is broken and I haven’t drank a sip of water. That is how focused I was. Upstairs from the office, there is a Church. The entire building was shaking but that didn’t bother me at all. I was on a mission. I gave Pierre, the flash drive and he began to print it out. I said I am leaving immediately. He got sad. I first had to sit down in the living room. Ohhhh nooo… I just want to get a hot shower. He started by telling me how fantastic, smart, great…. Etc I was. I was very thankful and flattered but my mission was to leave asap. We took a selfie and left. I snapped another picture of the calendar that was on the wall. A calendar of the board of directors of the Microfinance agency CPF Ineza. Another one I need to take to microStart. Lol
It is too late to drive to Kigali so another night in the Splenid it is. I saw a cooperative of pottery around here so before I leave in the morning, I will pass by there. Maybe I can find something cute for the house ? I have given almost all my clothes away so there is space in my bag again.
Let me rest because tomorrow afternoon is a full of meetings in Kigali.
Night night
