Micro-Finance Underway in Bahr El Ghazal

.	GBA team members training to process loans for new Aweil clients

The age-old adage, “good things are worth the wait,” is certainly true when it comes to micro-finance for the region of Bahr El Ghazal, Southern Sudan. It has taken GBA and its partner agencies more than a year to raise the funds and set up the administrative structure for this Southern Sudanese lending institution. But finally good news has arrived for those desperate for empowerment in Aweil East, a town in the state of Bahr El Ghazal in dire need of capacity-building assistance. GBA’s first 100 loans were issued in mid-January, with the program quickly ramping up to full capacity.

 

In November of this past year, I had the privilege of visiting Aweil. In addition to helping set up the administrative structure for this new program, part of my job was also to introduce our new lending institution to local community leaders and government officials. I was excited by the enthusiastic response to our plans, but little did I know just how important this new program would be to area residents.

When GBA made known in November and December of 2009 that applications would be accepted for small business loans commencing in January of the new year, we could not have anticipated just how great the response would be to our announcement. In order to initially position the program for success, it was agreed by GBA staff that 100 loans would be offered in January. This limited number of loans in the beginning would afford our team the opportunity to hone the administrative structure of the micro-finance institution; allowing us to make any needed adjustments or changes early in the process before too many clients were added.

 

As word quickly spread of the business credits to be offered by GBA, 1,087 potential clients arrived for interviews for only 100 available loans!

Needless to say, I was amazed by more than one thousand people in such urgent need of just a few initial loans. Aweil proves without a doubt that micro-credit is urgently needed in the most inaccessible and impoverished regions of the developing world.

 

But this is just the beginning for Aweil, and hopefully other future locations in Southern Sudan in regard to micro-finance. Our Aweil program requires additional capacity being built into it. While we have the funding to grow the program three-fold, it is still in need of added loan capital in order to become self-supporting. Additionally, a motorcycle for our loan officers to visit clients in nearby villages is a necessity.

 

More than ever, I am spurred on to action by over one thousand potential clients in Aweil. I also know that this number of interested villagers is just the tip of the iceberg.

 

Your financial contributions to GBA have brought capacity-building assistance to a region where such help has never before been experienced. Thank you for your partnership and investment into the lives of “the least of these.”

 

President, GBA