Oikocredit partner first to offer microfinance pricing transparency data in Africa

Microfinance Focus, Dec. 4, 2009: Oikocredit project partner PAWDEP is leading the way in microfinance pricing transparency in Africa. The Kenya-based Pamoja Women’s Development Programme became the first African microfinance institution to submit data to MFTransparency Transparent Pricing Initiative.

MFTransparancy allows organizations in the microfinance sector to make public their pricing structure and in turn help ensure transparency, integrity and poverty alleviation in the industry.

The MFTransparency staff are now working with other Kenyan MFIs to complete the data submission process. The success of the MFTransparency Transparent Pricing Initiative in Kenya depends on the submission of information on product pricing.

Oikocredit was the first Dutch microfinance investor to endorse the pioneering organization and has renewed its support to the organization last month. With the continued endorsement and financial backing of organizations like Oikocredit, MFTransparency has been able to scale up its pricing transparency operations.

PAWDEP has been an Oikocredit project partner since 2008, and has received one Oikocredit loan of Kenya Shillings 84,000,000 (€ 801,000). PAWDEP has 70 staff and 58 of them are women. They have 48,000 clients – all women – throughout five provinces in Kenya.

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