GOPA AFC

𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝗳𝘂𝗴𝗲𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗨𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮 Our team is conducting a feasibility study to improve access to finance for women and refugees in #Uganda, financed by Germany through KfW. We are analyzing options and opportunities to provide finance to these target groups. Project manager Dr. Oliver Schmidt met with Moses Ogwapus, Commissioner for Financial Services Development at the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, to discuss financial inclusion strategies. Suzanne Akulu Okao, our senior national expert, visited #refugee settlements to gather insights from #women in these communities. Key stakeholders like the Uganda Small-Scale Industries Association and Uganda Bankers Association (UBA) provided crucial perspectives on women entrepreneurs and gender-responsive finance. UBA also shared their Environmental and Social Governance framework. The study, concluding in March next year, will encompass market research, analysis of barriers to finance for women and refugees, and recommendations for technical assistance. #AFCFinDev #financialinclusion #genderfinance Suzanne Akulu Okao, Christopher Engelhardt, Jimmy Byaruhanga, MetaMeta, GOPA Consulting Group  

𝗔𝗴𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗩𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺 𝗶𝗻 𝗧𝗮𝗷𝗶𝗸𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗹𝘂𝗱𝗲𝘀 On November 20, 2024, the closing workshop for the "Financing the Value Chain in the Agricultural Sector" program took place in Dushanbe, #Tajikistan. From 2021 to 2024, this initiative aimed to boost the competitiveness of Tajik agriculture through sustainable practices and advanced technologies. Funded by an agreement between Germany (represented by KfW) and Tajikistan (represented by the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade (MEDT)), the program provided EUR 8.6 million in local currency to partner financial institutions (PFIs). We offered technical assistance, selected 5 PFIs (Arvand, Finca, Humo, Imon, Oxus), and developed tailored financial products. We also enhanced PFIs' credit, cost, and risk management abilities and implemented an advanced Environmental, Social, & Management System. "𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘩𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘭𝘺 𝘴𝘶𝘤𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘷𝘢𝘭𝘶𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘢𝘨𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘰𝘳, 𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘤 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘸𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘦𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘰𝘺𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘛𝘢𝘫𝘪𝘬𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯", says Ahliddin Nurissinzoda, Deputy Minister at MEDT. The workshop was attended by notable figures including York Schuegraf, German Ambassador for Tajikistan; Andreas Schneider, Head of the Regional Representation of KfW in Central Asia; Yassine Ben Said, Portfolio Manager of KfW; Manuchehr Bakoev, Sector Coordinator of KfW Tajikistan;  Wulf-Hendrik Goretzky, GIZ project director; and representatives from GOPA AFC, Arvand, Finca, Humo, Imon, and Oxus. #AFCFinDev #agfin Sigitas Bubnys, Firuza Safarova, Benedetta Ferraro, MetaMeta, GOPA Consulting Group 

𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗹𝗲𝗱𝗴𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗔𝗴𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗩𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗧𝗮𝗻𝘇𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗮 Our experts Albert Mkongwa and David Odongo completed training for 31 senior management staff from Tanzania Commercial Bank (TCB) in Morogoro, last week. The training included classroom sessions, role play, pre/post training quizzes, and field visits to value chain actors, providing participants with a comprehensive understanding of the operations and financial needs of various actors along the value chain. In addition to the 132 staff reached through our online platform, we have now trained over 60 senior TCB managers in Agricultural Value Chain Finance. #AFCFinDev #AVCF Oliver Schmidt, MetaMeta, GOPA Consulting Group

𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗜𝗻𝗰𝗹𝘂𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 - 𝗘𝘂𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝗠𝗶𝗰𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸 Last week, Celine Serhal represented our team at the European Microfinance Week, organized by the European Microfinance Platform (e-MFP). She participated in discussions on impact measurement for inclusive finance, emphasizing the need for data-driven approaches. GOPA AFC is enhancing support for financial service providers to improve impact reporting. In Egypt, we collaborate with the MSME Development Agency (MSMEDA) to measure job creation impact and boost social performance management. The conference also emphasized financial inclusion for refugees and forcibly displaced people. We are involved in projects in Jordan and Uganda, providing digital financial literacy and business management training to support refugee communities. #AFCFinDev #inclusivefinance #genderfinance MetaMeta, GOPA Consulting Group 

🐄 Revivez la Journée de Formation au CCFL Thibar ! 📽️ Le 17 octobre 2024, le CCFL Thibar a organisé un événement clé pour promouvoir le programme de formation "parage des onglons et écornage des bovins", essentiel pour la santé et le bien-être animal. Des acteurs clés tels que des représentants de centrales laitières, de centres de collecte et d'exploitations agricoles ont exploré cette formation, qui prépare les professionnels à maîtriser des pratiques cruciales pour le confort des vaches. Salwa Haddad I MetaMeta I GOPA Consulting Group #AFCAgri #Tunisie #Lait

+++ German Minister of Agriculture visits AKTC Project in #Zambia +++ The German Minister of Food and Agriculture, Cem Özdemir, and his Delegation visited our #AKTC (Agriculture-Knowledge-Training-Center)-Project, financed by Bundesministerium für Ernährung und Landwirtschaft in Zambia on Thursday, 7 November 2024. AKTC is located at #GART, a well known research centre in Zambia. The German Delegation and partners from Zambia were very much interested in the field trials and demonstration plots established to test innovative agricultural production methods for small scale farmers and commercial farmers. Water Management is an important component: on bigger plots, water savings of up to 30% are realized by using specialized satellite technologies. On smaller plots, adapted methods using recent experience in Agroecology lead to water savings and improve the fertility of the soils. A training centre was constructed on site and following the strong demand, already 3,000 participant days of training were carried out already in the year 2024. The project is implemented by GOPA AFC since 2014 and since this time various new components were added for rainfed agricultural production. Finally, the Minister planted a tree on site, demonstrating sustainability as well. Our Team Leader Helmut Anschuetz, Martin Luzu Silkanyika and the whole strong team based in Zambia supported the program. Johannes Buschmeier, Managing director of GOPA AFC, was pleased to see the successful project implementation on site as well. MetaMeta I GOPA Consulting Group #AFCAgri #Agriculture #Training

𝗘𝗻𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗰𝗮𝗽𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗔𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮 The African Business magazine released its article "Africa's Top 100 Banks 2024: Going Global" and we're honored to have collaborated with several of them. Under the Technical Assistance Programme to EIB Financial Sector Operations in East and Central Africa, we worked with: 🔸 Equity Bank Group #Kenya (23rd place), where we facilitated a capacity building activity, and the Co-operative Bank of Kenya (46th place), which we offered 3 training sessions for 96 staff on loan management and financial modeling. 🔸 For CRDB Bank #Tanzania (no. 49), we conducted 16 training activities for 242 staff and supported their transition to a retail service provision model. 🔸 Centenary Rural Development Bank #Uganda (no. 79), providing 13 training activities for 301 staff on lending and finance, and 45 training sessions for 4,970 MSMEs, including 1,745 refugees. 🔸 Bank of Kigali, #Rwanda (no. 99), benefited from 5 training sessions for 97 participants, focusing on credit risk and trade finance. In the GIZ #Nigeria project "Promotion of Agricultural Finance for Agri-based Enterprises," we supported FCMB Microfinancebank (First City Monument Bank no. 42) and Sterling Bank (no. 85) in developing tailored financial services for farms and agri-based enterprises. Our work strengthens these banks' capabilities, contributing to enhancing the financial ecosystem in Africa. #AFCFinDev GOPA Consulting Group

𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝗠𝗗 𝗷𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘀 𝗚𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘀𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝗴𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗔𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮 Our Managing Director Johannes Buschmeier is currently traveling with a German delegation led by the German Federal Minister of Food and Agriculture, Cem Özdemir. The trip aims to expand long-term cooperation with partners in Africa to promote sustainable and climate-adapted agriculture, thereby realizing the human right to adequate food. Over the past two days in Addis Ababa, #Ethiopia, the delegation, which includes representatives from business, civil society, think tanks, youth, and the press, engaged in various impactful activities. They participated in the African Youth Agribusiness Forum, received briefings from the German Embassy and the African Union, and held discussions with NGOs and human rights groups. Additionally, they attended a UNIDO Conference and visited Romina Coffee, a local coffee exporter. Next, the delegation will travel to #Zambia to visit among others the AKTC project, which has been successfully implemented by GOPA AFC for the past 10 years. These engagements underscore our commitment to fostering sustainable agricultural practices and strengthening partnerships in Africa. #AFCAgri MetaMeta, GOPA Consulting Group

𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝘂𝗺 𝗶𝗻 𝗕𝗼𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗮 Last week, we supported the 4th International Forum on Sustainable Finance, organized by the UN Global Compact Network Bolivia. Key actors and leaders of the national and international financial system shared an engaging day discussing the trends, challenges, and opportunities of sustainable finance. We thank Roberto Romero C from ASOBANCA for joining us as a panelist in the conversation about “Instruments for Sustainable Finance”. This event was part of the Agro-ecological and Climate Resilient Rural Development Project (ProResiliente), implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH. GOPA AFC contributes to this initiative through the Financial Mechanisms Component, providing technical assistance to the Ministry of Rural Development and Land (MDRyT) of #Bolivia. Together with GOPA Worldwide Consultants we are leading the adaptation of financing models for agroecological and climate-resilient farming, focusing on developing green loans and a green taxonomy. Additionally, we are enhancing entrepreneurial and financial skills for producers through targeted financial education activities. #AFCFinDev #greenfin #agfin Benedetta Ferraro, Jan Ennenbach, Mirta Martínez Bazzano, Elena Yunatska, MetaMeta, GOPA Consulting Group   *************************   𝗔𝗽𝗼𝘆𝗼 𝗮𝗹 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗼 𝗱𝗲 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝘇𝗮𝘀 𝗦𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗲𝗻 𝗕𝗼𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗮 La semana pasada apoyamos el IV Foro Internacional de Finanzas Sostenibles, organizado por la Red UN Global Compact Bolivia. Actores clave y líderes del sistema financiero nacional e internacional compartieron una atractiva jornada debatiendo sobre las tendencias, desafíos y oportunidades de las finanzas sostenibles. Agradecemos a Roberto Romero de Asobanca por acompañarnos como panelista en la conversación sobre «Instrumentos para las Finanzas Sostenibles». Este evento formó parte del Proyecto de Desarrollo Rural Agroecológico y Resiliente al Clima (ProResiliente), implementado por Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ). GOPA AFC contribuye a esta iniciativa a través del Componente de Mecanismos Financieros, brindando asistencia técnica al Ministerio de Desarrollo Rural y Tierras (MDRyT) de Bolivia. Junto con GOPA Worldwide Consultants lideramos la adaptación de modelos de financiación para la agricultura agroecológica y resiliente al clima, centrándonos en el desarrollo de préstamos verdes y una taxonomía verde. Además, estamos mejorando las habilidades empresariales y financieras de los productores a través de actividades específicas de educación financiera. 

GOPA Consulting Group’s new #Uzbekistan office opened its doors in Tashkent. With 16 ongoing projects in the country, our Group’s deep local knowledge ensures high-quality and context-specific solutions for every project. #AFCFinDev #AFCAgri #AFClimate   MetaMeta