Project Period:
July 1, 2016 to June 30, 2019.
Project Background:
Switch Asia is part of a wider SWITCH program portfolio funded by the European Commission in Asia. Led by GERES, Rural Movement Organization (RMO) and Afghanistan Microfinance Association (AMA) are committed to implement this project in 15 selected districts of Kabul City of Afghanistan. The project aims to contribute to the Afghanistan National Development Strategy’s main pillars, particularly on poverty reduction through a private-sector, market-led approach. The project seeks to tackle the lack of access to finance for green consumption, to strengthen the emerging Energy Saving Solutions (ESS) value chain and engage networks of stakeholders.
The goal of the European Commission’s SWITCH-Asia program is to promote economic prosperity and helps reduce poverty in Asia by encouraging a sustainable growth with low environmental impact from industries and consumers, in line with international environmental agreements and processes.
AMA Responsibilities:
- Raising awareness of MFIs CEOs and Chief Functionaries on the Switch Asia Project and provision of Green Loans.
- Raising awareness of MFIs Regional Managers on the Switch Asia Project and provision of Green Loans.
- Raising awareness of MFIs Branch Managers on Switch Asia Project and provisioning of green loans, through branch visits.
- Pilot phase conducted with 2 MFIs.
- Generalization of green loans at Kabul level from year 2. MFI customers (existing and potential) are targeted by marketing undertaken by MFIs’ branches, which recommend qualified SMEs.
- By the end of the project, at least 15 branches of MFIs propose green loans for house improvement throughout Afghanistan and 1200 consumers benefit from loans to purchase ESSs in Kabul by the end of the project.
