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Grameen-Jameel and Sanabel Network are pleased to announce the winners of Grameen-Jameel Awards for Microfinance Institutions for 2012.
This award was given to Microfund for Women (MFW) – Jordan, for innovation in the field of product development, where MFW modified an affordable and flexible life insurance programme that both protects the client against loan default in case of disability or death and provides the client’s family with financial assistance.
This award was given to Palestine for Credit & Development (FATEN) – Palestine, for its role in microfinance as a leading non-profit company that provides a variety of high quality and sustainable financial services for low income and economically active small and micro entrepreneurs, especially women, through a high calibre staff and an advanced infrastructure in order to contribute to family empowerment and community development in Palestine.
This Award was given to Al Amal Microfinance Bank – Yemen, for the high sustainability levels which the Al Amal bank achieved, despite the events which Yemen witnessed in 2011. The Bank fought to keep its current clients, at a time where most microfinance institutions in Yemen were losing their clients. Therefore, Al-Amal Bank is still the leading institution, and the major provider of microfinance services in Yemen, despite those events. After conditions had improved in Yemen at the beginning of 2012 till the end of June, 2012, Al-Amal Bank managed to multiply its market penetration rate to reach 32%.
Grameen-Jameel and Sanabel Network introduced this Awards Program for the third year in a row to recognize Arab microfinance institutions that demonstrate excellence in the following categories:
- Innovation
- Leadership
- Sustainable Growth
The awards will be announced at the opening ceremony of Sanabel’s 9th Annual Conference, and certificates of recognition and financial prizes will be provided by Grameen-Jameel to the winners in appreciation for their achievements.
This year, Sanabel received 19 applications from 6 Arab countries, and the table below has the breakdown of applicants for each category of the awards, and the following table has it according to the geographical area.
Table No.1: Applicants for each category:
| Category |
No. of Applicants |
| Innovation |
8 |
| Leadership |
6 |
| Sustainable Growth |
5 |
| Total |
19 |
Table No.2: Applicants per country:
| Category/Country |
Yemen |
Jordan |
Egypt |
Morocco |
Palestine |
Iraq |
| Innovation |
0 |
2 |
3 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
| Leadership |
0 |
2 |
0 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
| Sustainable Growth |
1 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
| Total |
1 |
6 |
4 |
5 |
1 |
2 |
The Judging Committee this year included microfinance industry experts from the Arab region and worldwide:
- Mr. Ammar Shams - Regional Head of Corporate Sustainability, HSBC Bank Middle East Limited
- Mr. Johannes Majewski - Promotion of the Microfinance Sector in the MENA Region - Programme Coordinator, Deutsche GesellschaftfürInternationaleZusammenarbeit (GIZ)
- Mr. Liam Collins - Deputy General Manager - Program Manager, Grameen-Jameel
- Ms. Mayada El-Zoghbi- Senior Microfinance Specialist, Donors and Investors,CGAP
- Ms. Sharon D’Onofrio- Executive Director, SEEP Network
Sanabel Network and Grameen-Jameel would like to thank all applicants for the time and effort they took in submitting the applications and wish the winners future successes in serving the microfinance industry in the Arab region in the coming years.
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