The Aga Khan receives applause …

 

The Aga Khan, head of Ismaili Muslims, receives applause from International Baccalaureate board chairman Monique Seefried, left, and the rest of the auditorium after speaking to students and educators Friday April 18, 2008, in Atlanta. The Aga Khan, one of the world’s richest men is planning to give away nearly one billion dollars to create academies for underprivileged children in fourteen countries.

Yahoo/AP Photo/John Amis

Aga Khan Development Network: 3.5 billion francs in microfinance in Côte d’Ivoire

Translated via Google, Source: fratmat.info

Last update: 29 Apr 2008 – 22:39 GMT

The state visit by Prince was marked by a strong commitment to continue the fight against poverty.

The 14th micro-finance agency of the Aga Khan Network (RAK) will be installed in Côte d’Ivoire. Last Tuesday, an agreement setting the “tool of development and fight against poverty” was signed under the co-patronage the Head of State Laurent Gbagbo and His Highness the Aga Khan.

The Minister of Mines and Energy, Leon Monnet, representing the Minister of Economy and Finance, and Mr. Jacques Toureille, Director General of the Aga Khan Agency for Microfinance, have initiated the agreement respectively on behalf of Côte d’Ivoire and RAK.

At the end of the ceremony, Mr. Toureille told the press that the convention that his group has signed with the Ivorian government in Cote d’Ivoire will govern the operations of their institution. It is a fairly standard agreement which is prepared on a model that governs all micro-finance institutions in the sub-region. “This is a standard agreement, but our institution is not a standard. We intend to do something exceptionally important for this country, “he said.

 

From an initial capital of $ 7 million (about 3.5 billion CFA francs), the first micro-finance agency, RAK in Côte d’Ivoire seeks 250 miles borrowers and depositors 120 miles. This capital could be increased to 20 million dollars (9 billion CFA francs) in 3 or 4 years with a forecast of 1.3 million borrowers and 1 million applicants, “said Jacques Toureille, at a conference he hosted the morning of the signing of the Convention. The International Finance Corporation, the French Cooperation Agency, the European Investment Bank based in Luxembourg and the FMO (Dutch agency on Financing for Development) are the network partners Aga Khan Development (AKDN) in this project . Whose purpose is “to enable the poorest to have access to finance and fight against economic exclusion.” Three essential guidelines based this action: “create institutions perennial in time, because poverty is not something that will disappear overnight; provide services to populations of very large because of the importance of their needs , Including credit, savings and micro insurance in various geographic areas, ie both in rural than in urban areas and seek to have maximum impact by targeting people who are referred. For it is to ensure that services will go to the poorest and will not be diverted to the more affluent populations, “said Jacques Toureille.

The first microfinance agency AKDN in Côte d’Ivoire will open in the northern region where the group is already present in economic activities, especially in cotton. Its main services will be the deposit and credit. Through the credit that is an activity of finance, AKdN “seeks to integrate the customer in the economic environment in the country. This means ensuring that those people who initially are in a precarious situation, changing gradually for a more stable life, a more stable environment both in terms of their economic life and their habitat, access to health care and access to education for their children. ” Will be financed production activities (the purchase of inputs for the development of agriculture, small-scale mechanization (purchase of oxen, ploughs) agriculture to facilitate the work of people, etc; improving l ‘Habitat (construction of additional rooms, latrines, water, etc.. And health with insurance products. There is also leasing to facilitate money transfers and their use in countries Origin of some expatriates for example. Burkina Faso and Mali are the first two countries in the subregion to house a microfinance agency of the AKDN. Ivorian The agency could start its activities next September, said Director General of the Agency. On the night of Tuesday, the Head of State Laurent Gbagbo gave a dinner to His Highness the Aga Khan, during which he commended for all development activities that network deployed in Cote d’Ivoire. “Let me say that we have is a great friend. Historically, since independence, he worked alongside us,” said President Gbagbo.

On the micro finance, the Head of State stressed that it is the most important thing today in Africa. “The father of the micro-finance in India, took the Nobel Prize in economics. And they have done well to give it. Because this is the first time they give the Nobel Prize in economics intelligently. They were assigned to one who has really established a network to give the most needy. As pointed here, His Highness the Aga Khan. “  – David Ya

Signing of a finance convention for a micro finance agency between Ivorian government and Aga Khan

 

Source & Courtesy : Ismaili Mail

Aga Khan will open the first agency of micro-finance of Cote d`Ivoire

 

Cooperation / His Highness Karim Khan Aga in Abidjan
Abidjan.net – April 29, 2008
Monday, April 28, 2008. On a visit to our country, the head of the Ismaili community met with President Laurent Gbagbo

 

 

Source: Translated via Google

ABIDJAN – The AKDN (Aga Khan Development Network), one of the largest private development networks in the world, announced Tuesday the opening in September of the first agency of micro-finance Côte d’Ivoire to ” contribute to the fight against poverty “.

His Highness the Aga Khan Arrives in Côte d’Ivoire / Ivory Coast

Source : AKDN

Related : Complete West Africa Visit Pictures.

Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo (L) welcomes Prince Aga Khan on April 29, 2008

 

Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo (L) welcomes Prince Aga Khan on April 29, 2008 at presidential palace in Abidjan ahead of signing of a finance convention for a micro finance agency between Ivorian government and Aga Khan.

Source & Courtesy : Ismaili Mail.

His Highness the Aga Khan in Burkina Faso

     

Source : AKDN

Bamako Park Inauguration – Mali

    

Source : AKDN
Related : Aga Khan Visits Mali

Prince Aga Khan, received in audience the Prime Ministry and for a working session

 

Translated via Google: Source, Burkina Faso Government

His Highness, Prince Karim Aga Khan, the 49th Imam of the Ismailis, who arrived in Ouagadougou on April 26, 2008 in late morning, was received in audience in the afternoon by Prime Minister Tertius Zongo in his cabinet. During their talks, they exchanged on areas of intervention by the Aga Khan Development Network in Burkina Faso. These interventions as numerous and varied affect mainly the field of economic development, including air transport, industry, micro finance.

After the hearing, Prince Karim Aga Khan and his delegation held a working meeting with a delegation of 5 government ministers, led by the Prime Minister. At the end of work, His Highness has lent questions from the press on the subject of the meeting. He stressed that the two delegations reviewed all projects in Burkina group, both those who are running as those that require actions to enable them to move forward.

The two delegations also exchanged files on micro-credits. For the Prince Aga Khan this issue micro-finance is important, mainly for all African countries where it is necessary to expand the product offering and raise more funds. The development of Air Burkina, industrial development and many other development issues were discussed by the two delegations. After the meeting, Prince Aga Khan expressed satisfaction with the implementation of projects in Burkina Faso.

http://www.primature.gov.bf/

Bamako Park Inauguration – Mali

Source : AKDN
Related : Aga Khan Visits Mali