Microfinance Focus, January 26, 2012: Grameen Foundation’s global volunteer initiative, Bankers without Borders (BwB) has added the Association of Ethiopian Microfinance Institutions (AEMFI) as the sixth member of its Alliance program.

The program helps other poverty alleviation networks improve their strategies and operations by engaging the skills and talent of the more than 7,500 professionals that have already joined Bankers without Borders.

Bankers without Borders provides Alliance members with seed funding, technical assistance, and operational support so that they can expand the use of skilled volunteers with their network members or affiliates.  On average, each Bankers without Borders volunteer contributes 120 hours per project worth an estimated $8,500 in donated services.

AEMFI is a not for profit, non-governmental, membership association of 31 registered Ethiopian microfinance institutions. Currently, AEMFI’s members are providing access to financial services for about 2.6 million active clients.

AEMFI will work with Bankers without Borders to support member MFIs in their area of challenge specifically in financial forecasting tools and management information systems, and enable them to address more financially excluded population of the country through offering quality and sustainable services.

Members of the BwB Alliance currently include Contactar of Colombia, Access Development Services of India, Promuc of Peru, MICRA of the Philippines, and Association for Enterprise Opportunity of the United States.  The BwB Alliance Program is made possible with support from BwB’s global sponsor, J.P. Morgan.