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Seventh International Course on “Advanced Reflective education and Training (ART) on Community based Development Finance”

Dear Colleague,

We are happy to announce the Seventh International course on “Advanced Reflective education and Training (ART) on Community based Development Finance” for staff of microfinance organisations, banks, capacity-building organisations, NGOs, government organisations and funding agencies, from India and abroad. The Course will take place in Madurai, in Tamil Nadu in South India, from December 1 to 12, 2009.

The Tata-Dhan Academy is a “Development Education and Research” institute promoted by DHAN Foundation. There are six types of microfinance approaches present in India to facilitate the process of poverty reduction. DHAN Foundation, a national professional organisation has promoted India’s largest and most innovative community banking programme, serving the financial needs of about 0.7 million poor families with cumulative portfolio of about $ 175 million in southern and central India. The Course will enable participants to learn successful microfinance models of South Asia, Africa, Latin America, and European countries and in the field from the Foundation’s own very successful model of building sustainable people’s institutions. It includes both classroom sessions as well as field visits.

The pedagogy includes case analysis, experience sharing by the experts, group exercises, field visits and panel workshops.

Course Outline (December 1-12, 2009)

The Course has three independent themes.

Theme 1: Community based Development Finance (December 1-4, 2009)

The theme focuses on the following areas:

• Alternate paradigm of institutional finance: learning from the successful micro finance models from South Asia, Africa, and Latin America through case analysis
• Financial inclusion and mainstreaming: learning from the experiences of India and Bangladesh through case analysis
• Microfinance for poverty reduction: Social intermediation, financial intermediation and civic intermediation through case analysis from Indian experience
• Sustainability of community based development finance models:learning from different community based models in India
• Field visit: understand the Community Banking Programme (Kalanjiam model)

Theme 2: Social Security for Poverty Reduction (Micro Insurance for the poor) (December 5-8, 2009)

The theme focuses on the following areas:

• Micro insurance: Learning from the successful experiences of Asia, Africa and Europe
• Product development: Insurance needs and product development – life, health, crop and livestock insurance
• Mutual insurance: Concepts and promotion of community based mutual insurance and reinsurance
• Micro Insurance Regulations: Indian experience
• Field visit to understand micro insurance

Theme 3: Microfinance and Business Development (December 9-12, 2009)

The theme focuses on the following areas:

• Business Development Services (BDS): Status, Need, Impact and Opportunities
• Integrated approach to Microfinance for Livelihood Promotion through Business Development
• Microfinance for Microenterprise Promotion and Development
• Community based Business Development Models: International case studies from agriculture, livestock, fishery and non-farm sector based organisations
• Inclusive Value Chain: Concepts and Practices
• Field visit: To experience and understand the impact of community based business organisations on poverty alleviation

Participants can choose to attend any one or two themes or the entire course. The medium of course teaching is English only.

Participants will be accommodated in double study/bedrooms with private attached facilities. The venue will be announced later. The faculty includes practitioners from leading microfinance organisations, banking institutions, regulatory organisations and business corporations. The Course includes field visits to microfinance institutions, individual clients, savings and credit groups and business organisations. The course also includes rural tourism and site seeing to the important historical places of Madurai city.

Fee: Since the first course in 2004, about 225 participants from NGOs, MFIs government and international funding organisations representing 25 countries have participated. The registration and tuition fee for the entire course is USD 3,000. It also includes full board and lodging, course materials and other literature, and field visits, as well as site seeing visits to historic places in Madurai. The Fee for each theme of the Course is USD 1,000. The stay includes 5 nights. For extra stay, the person has to bear the cost.

Participants themselves or their employers must cover the cost of travel to and from Madurai. DHAN Foundation will provide letters to local Indian Consulates to facilitate the issue of visas, but participants must themselves obtain the visa. The fee for Indian participants is Rs 90,000 for entire course and Rs 30,000 for each theme of the Course.

Sponsorship: The Academy also facilitates sponsorships on request for a few participants. Those who have not attended any international course on microfinance would be given preference and recommended for the sponsorship.

The fee should be sent by Demand Draft in favour of “DHAN Foundation” payable at Madurai, or by international bank transfer to Account Name: DHAN Foundation, Canara Bank Town Hall Branch, Town Hall Road, Madurai 625 001, Branch Code: DP 1013, SB Account No.: 1013101028758, Swift Code: CNR BIN BB UFM. The application can be downloaded from the website: http://www.dhan.org/tda/art.php. The filled in application along with the fee should be sent before October 31, 2009. As the number of seats is limited places will be allotted on a first come first serve basis. Online application is also made available in the website.

Please send applications on the attached form, or requests for further information, to attention of