Contact Address Details:
(GAWFA) Gambia Women's Finance Association
(A microfinance institution - MFI)
Website: gawfa.com
Head Office (GFC Limited)
Kanifing Industrial Estate
PO Box 81, Banjul
The Gambia
West Africa
Tel no: +220 4397063
Fax: 4397062
Email:
info@gawfa.com
gawfa@gamtel.gm
Ms. Oley Njie Mbye, C.E.O.
Gawfa Branches:
North Bank Office
Upper River Region
Directions:
From the Mamadi Manjang Highway go into Jimpex road and take the
second turn to your left and it is located to your right.
Opening Hours:
Monday to Thursday: 9am to 5pm
Friday: 9am to 12.30pm
Saturday/Sunday: Closed
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Information:
The
GAWFA Finance Company Gambia Limited (GFC) was founded in Banjul in 1987 as a non-profit
NGO whose main aim is in empowering low-income women entrepreneurs through
microfinance.
It began with a direct lending program
offering microcredit services to poor farmers, people engaged in income
generating commercial activities and enterprise training. In the same year it was allowed
membership into the Women's World Banking (WWB)
network in New York.
Loan Products:
Individual
Large Group
Solitary Group
* Lending to groups stands at around 65% of its activities
- most of which is outside of Banjul capital.
In 1990 a loans scheme (supported by
Standard Chartered Bank Ltd and the womans World Bank (WWB) was
launched to provide greater access to credit for women. In 1994
however, due to the quite poor repayment rates, GAWFA made it a
condition that customers had to save money before they were allowed
access to funds. It also introduced a program of group lending.
These changes subsequently resulted in a to a near 100% improvement
in repayment rates.
In 1997 GAWFA became the initial
microfinance institution to be granted a license to operate as a
Savings and Credit Company by the Central Bank of Gambia. This was
in line with the 1992 Financial Institutions Act and is targeted at
rural and urban areas.
At the
end of 2010 GAWFA had a total membership of 49,000 with over 14,000
active borrowers on their files. Over 95% of those that the company
lends money to are women who wish to pursue various business
enterprises.
Its membership services includes non-financial assistance such as
training for capacity building via its affiliated partners and
related organisations.
In January 2010 the GAWFA was
instructed by the Central Bank to set up a finance company, with
shares, to take over its financial
services activities.
Other Products & Services:
Integrated Savings and Credit Scheme
Business Advice and other
Activities
The Voluntary Savings Scheme
Partners:
AECID
Gambia Micro Finance Network
Ministry of NGO Affairs
GOTG & Rural Finance Project - IFAD
The Association of Non Governmental Organizations (TANGO)
The Gambia Social Development Fund (GSDF)
Women's Bureau
WWB
One of its other functions is in
the area of campaigning and lobbying to influence government policy
for the benefit of low income females and microfinance
organisations.
Today, GAWFA stands as the first and largest microfinance
institution in The Gambia with a number of branch offices spread in
the rural village areas.
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