Sindh Agricultural and Forestry Workers' Coordinating Organization

Gross Loan Portfolio USD, 2010: 3.6 million

Number of active borrowers 2010: 30,675

Average loan balance per borrower USD, 2010: 118.0

Deposits USD, 2010: —

Assets USD, 2010: —

Number of depositors 2010: —

Mission:

SAFWCO’s mission is to organize the marginalized communities through social mobilization on a common platform, and to support them in carrying out sustainable development.

Credit and Enterprise Development Sector’s Goal:
To become the first choice of low income marginalized and ... Read more

Background and Main Challenges:

- SAFWCO is registered as a non-profit organization under the Society Act 1860.

- The organization was formed in 1986 with the intention of alleviating poverty in the rural populace, especially targeting the poor in Sindh province.

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Address:

House # C-415/416, Opposite Beacon House school, Phase - I, Qasimabad

Hyderabad

Sindh

71000

Pakistan

Phone:

92 222 650996

Fax:

92 222 655860

Email:

safwcoeds [at] yahoo [dot] com

Website:

www.safwco.org

Main Funding Sources:

Grants

Loans

Products and Services:

Loans

Voluntary Savings

Products:

1. Agricultural Loans
2. Regular Monthly Loans
3. Half Installment Loans for Females
4. Buffalo Purchasing Loans (White Revolution)
5. Festival Loans
6. Eid Azha Loans for male goats
7. Emergency Fund (Insurance Product)

Services Provided:

Health

Education

Other

Looking for (Investment Types):

Donations

Other Investment

Equity investments

% Operations Comprised by MF:

21 - 30

Date established:

May 30 1993

FYE:

30-Jun

Current Legal Status:

NGO

Regulated:

yes

Social Performance Profile


+ Mission specifics
+ Target markets (ranked by importance)
Clients living in rural areas	1
Women	2
Adolescents and youth (below 18)	3
Clients living in urban areas	4
+ Development goals (ranked by importance)
Increased access to financial services	1
Growth of existing businesses	2
Gender equality and women's empowerment	3
Poverty reduction	4
Employment generation	5
Youth opportunities	6
+ Poverty targets
Low income clients
+ Governance
Has trained members of its board on social performance management
+ Range of products and services
+ Financial products and services offered
+ Credit products offered
Microcredit loans for microenterprises
Loans for agriculture
+ Savings products offered
+ Compulsory insurance products required
+ Voluntary insurance products offered
Voluntary credit life insurance
Voluntary health insurance
+ Other financial products and services offered
+ Non-financial services offered
+ Enterprise services offered
+ Education services offered
Financial literacy education
Basic health/nutrition education
+ Health services offered
Basic medical services
+ Women's empowerment services offered
Leadership training for women
Women's rights education/gender issues training
Counseling/legal services for female victims of violence
+ Products and services targeting the poor
Products and services specifically designed to target the poor:
+ Social responsibility to clients
+ Client protection principles in use
The loan approval process requires evaluation of borrower repayment capacity and loan affordability. Loan approval does not rely solely on guarantees (whether peer guarantees, co-signers or collateral) as a substitute for good capacity analysis.
Internal audits check household debt exposure, lending practices that violate procedures including unauthorized re-financing, multiple borrowers or co-signers per household, and other practices that could increase indebtedness.
Productivity targets and incentive systems value portfolio quality at least as highly as other factors, such as disbursement or customer growth. Growth is rewarded only if portfolio quality is high.
Prices, terms and conditions of all financial products are fully disclosed to the customer prior to sale, including interest charges, insurance premiums, minimum balances, all fees, penalties, linked products, third party fees, and whether these can change over time.
Staff is trained to communicate effectively with all customers, ensuring that they understand the product, the terms of the contract, their rights and obligations. Communications techniques address literacy limitations (e.g. reading contracts out loud, materials in local languages).
Acceptable and unacceptable debt collection practices are clearly spelled out in a code of ethics, book of staff rules or debt collection manual.
The organization's corporate culture values and rewards high standards of ethical behavior and customer service.
A mechanism to handle customer complaints is in place, has dedicated staff resources, and is actively used. (Suggestion boxes alone are generally not considered adequate.)
Customers know how their information will be used. Staff explains how data will be used and seeks permission for use.
+ Cost of services to clients
+ Social responsibility to staff
+ Human resources
Benefits (medical insurance, pension contribution)
Protection at work (safety, anti-harassment)
Equality (anti-discrimination, equal pay for men and women with equivalent skill levels)
+ Basis of staff incentives related to social performance
Ability to attract new clients from target market
Outreach to remote/rural communities
Outreach to women
Portfolio quality
+ Social responsibility to the environment
+ Poverty measurement tools in use

Partnerships

Current
Name	Relationship
BWTP	Network Affiliation
PMN	Network Affiliation

MFI Report