Microfinance institutions needs to focus on sustainability not on profitability

The key messages passed at the last conference on microfinance in Europe held in Brussels last November 2010 provide interesting points of reflection for the future development of the microfinnance industry.

 

In particular, the statement: "Create a more favourable environment for microfinance at national level. Microfinance providers need to balance the aim of sustainability (not profitability) with the objective of social performance" foresees the recommendations made by Muhammed Yunus in his recent article Sacrificing microcredit for megaprofits published on the New York Times.

Successful trade between European Union and developing countries

COLEAP network promotes sustainable horticultural trade solutions, gathering together producers and exporters from the ACP countries and EU importers of fruit, vegetables, flowers and ornamental plants and other partners and companies operating in the horticultural industry. The cooperation programme PIP managed by COLEAP, financed by the European Development Fund is active in a number of  ACP countries. Information on the local directory of  exporters is available on the PIP site hyperlinked in the following map:

Grace Mueni Nyaa, from Kenya,founder of the Kyome Fresh Company Limited participated to the programme and talked about her experience at the European Development Days 2010. The Kenyan company grew from the initial capital base of €2600 to €140.000 in seven years down the line with an average annual sales turnover of €1.6 million! This sample highlights the importance of the private sector as one of the  main drivers for economic growth in developing countries and in particular small and medium enterprises. More information on the role of SME in developing countries are available in the following presentation:

European Development Days - EDD

Brussels hosted last 6 and 7 December 2010 the 5th edition of the EDD conference. The event have seen the participation of representatives from academic, institutional and civil society organizations gathering in the Belgian capital to discuss, comment and try to define the new set of priorities for the international cooperation sector. In particular, the presentations arranged in the Square Brussels Meeting Centre focused on 5 main topics. Namely, governance, democracy and human rights, private sector and global health.
Aid effectiveness, ownership, technical innovation, support to the local initiatives are concepts echoing in all the presentations. But good words are not enough. How is it acceptable in the 21 century the proliferation of counterfeit medicines? the MDGs objectives are far to be reached and resources for development projects initiatives have been cut down significantly both at states' and international level. But money is not all, first of all a more committed political will in the international community towards the needs of the most poor countries could contribute to a radical change

We will recap what have happened this year in occasion of the next edition of the EDD...See you sharing good news in December 2011 in Warsaw!!!!!!