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Over the last decade, it has been learnt that it is a little difficult for one to achieve meaningful result in poverty reduction with microfinance only as a tool; to this end the Trust has incorporated a lot of non-financial services into its operation in order to deepen its impact. To realise the needed transformation of clients Sinapi Aba has other social services programmes including Client Impact Assessment and Social Performance Management Programmes.
Again as Microfinance becomes a well accepted tool for poverty reduction with many entrants into the industry it has become essential for most institutions to know the actual needs of customers, their perception about existing products and services, what competitors are offering and the demand for new products and services in order to come out with demand-driven products and services. Again, most Micro finance institutions (including Rural Banks and Savings and Loans Company) in the Country required such information for continuous management decisions but lack the requisite skills. Furthermore, there are very few service providers with practical experience to assist managers, board and staff of these institutions. However, SAT has the practical and theoretical experience to delivery its training and research activities.
It was in recognition of this gap that, Sinapi Aba Trust initiated its microfinance training services. Thus, with 11 years of hands-on implementation and consulting experience, SAT aims at providing technical advisory services and institutional capacity building to support the development of microfinance and other development oriented institutions (including government (both national and sub-national); bilateral and multilateral agencies and NGOs) in Ghana and the Sub-region. This is done through its highly qualified and experienced staff.
OBJECTIVES
The Objectives are:
- To provide the knowledge and expertise both gained from building SAT and available from Opportunity International Network to other organizations engaged in microfinance and non-finance activities directed in Ghana and abroad.
- To support those poverty reduction and transformation programs of governments (both national and sub-national), donors and international financial institutions which are directed to the transformational needs of individuals and communities.
SAT’s non financial Department deliver services by itself and in partnership with other organizations having similar values, using its own management and staff and the services of others whom it might contract for specific projects.
Specifically, SAT provides technical services and training in five main areas:
- Microfinance Related subjects- best practices for loan appraisal, credit management, monitoring, delinquency management, calculation and use of financial indicators, corporate governance.
- Impact Assessment and Monitoring, client satisfaction surveys, Institutional evaluation of micro finance and Micro enterprise institutions.
- Market Research into what enterprises need and want in terms of products and services
- Advisory services in best practices in key operational and management issues such as client retention, loan appraisal, credit and delinquency management, internal controls, best banking practices, investment and finance, accounting and management etc.
- Product Development and Refinement e.g. Loans and Savings Products, Micro-leasing etc.
OTHER SERVICES OFFERED
HIV/AIDS: Awareness creation and Counseling services.
Youth Apprenticeship Programme: The purpose is to reduce incidence and spread of STIs & HIV/AIDS and unemployment among the youth by providing them with employable skills.
Community Development: Community leadership, resource mobilization, project planning and implementation techniques, team building, conflict resource, etc
Exposure Visit: Familiarization visits to clients, institutional briefing and experience sharing.
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