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Shakuma Fitness workout at microStart Antwerp!
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….
BNP Paribas x Incofin
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.
Mission CPS Ineza, Microfinance in Gitarama, Rwanda.
Photo with Cyrille, country coordinator Rwanda and Chantal microfinance manager CPS Ineza in Gitarama.
Before calling the UCTCCN coordinator I decided to research as much as I could on tea. Realising I am no tea producing expert I understand that there are some issues with the tea cooperatives in Rwanda as there are only 3 factories and some of the cooperatives are a bit far away from the factory. Tea leaves need to be brought to the factory as soon as possible to guarantee the premium tea quality. Most of the tea being sold is from Kenya while Rwandan tea is actually of higher quality but not well known. Rwanda has clear guidelines in relation to tea production. Online a lot of information can be found on tea production: http://www.ifad.org/english/operations/pf/rwa/i596rw/web/teac1_intro1.htm
I contacted Numerien the coordinator of UCTCCN and received all the necessary information. UCTCCN was created in 2007 and operates from the district RUBAVU, sector Nyundo. UCTCCN is a co-operative consisting of 4 more cooperatives. These being 1) Cooperative théicoles de la Pfunda (COOTP), 2) Cooperative théicole de Ramba (COTRAGAG), 3) Cooperative théicoles de Gasiza (COOPTHEGA) 4) Cooperative théicole de Rutsiro (RUTEGROC). The entire union consists of 5538 individuals. This is going to be one hell of a mission!
My job is to assist in creating a strategic plan to make the union more professional in order for it to be an added value for the small tea farmers. On top of that UCTCCN would like me to create an initial framework for creating a microfinance and microsavings division inside the tea union. So that tea farmers can go to their cooperative to resolve their financial problems.
I have 2 weeks to do this. I doubt 2 weeks will be sufficient so they have mailed me already as much information as currently available.
One thing I am wondering is whether this tea union is FairTrade certified? I am definitely going to enlighten myself on how to become a FairTrade producer in Rwanda. http://www.fairtrade.net/becoming-a-fairtrade-producer.html
