KB Media Exposure Vi - Pakistan Microfinance Network

MEDIA EXPOSURE VISIT REPORT
KHUSHHALI BANK – BHAWALPUR BRANCH VISIT
December 2012 – January 2013
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT:
The PMN would like to thank Khushhali Bank Ltd. for their cooperation during the
media visit. We would also like to thank Ms. Azra and Ms. Irshad for providing the
valuable contributions. We extend our deepest gratitude to them!
As always, the PMN team is grateful to its donors, UKAID, PPAF and Citi for their
continued support.
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
 Objective
‘Building positive media relations
for member organizations’
 About PMN
 About Khushhali Bank (KB)
 Mr. Ghalib Nishtar’s Profile
 Mr. Ghalib Nishtar’s Interview
Coverage
 Media Visit - Brief
 Clients Profiles
 Media Coverage
PMN has been arranging media visits for its members,
which is one of the core functions of its
Communications and Public Relations Strategy. So far,
these visits have been organized for Akhuwat, Wasil
Foundation (formerly known as CWCD), SAFWCO,
Kashf MFB, Sungi and Khushhali Bank. All these visits
resulted in print and/or electronic media coverage for
these organizations. The purpose of the activity is to
highlight the positive work being carried out by our
members and to share microfinance success stories
with journalists. The exposure visits also provide the
opportunity to the host MFP to start building
independent relationships with the Media.
The Pakistan Microfinance Network (PMN or ‘the Network’) traces its beginnings to 1997 when
a group of microfinance practitioners laid its foundations as an informal platform for
coordination, exchange of ideas and peer learning. Since then the Network has grown
significantly and is now recognized locally and globally as the national association for retail
players in Pakistan’s microfinance industry. Registered with the Securities and Exchange
Commission [SECP] in April 2001 under Section 42 of the Companies Ordinance, PMN is a
member driven network with a vision to expand access to formal financial services in Pakistan.
HISTORY
The Pakistan Microfinance Network finds it origins in 1995 as an informal association based on
the exchange of thoughts and experiences between microfinance providers operating in
Pakistan. In 1999 this loose collaboration, the Microfinance Group Pakistan, sought and
received financial support from the Aga Khan Foundation and the Asia Foundation. Through its
expanding and more formalized operations it continued to build confidence and trust amongst
donors, government and microfinance institutions. In 2001 it moved successfully to become a
separate legal entity under the name of the Pakistani Microfinance Network (PMN).
Our Vision
Frontiers of Formal Financial Services reach out to all.
Our Mission
Support the sector, in particular retail MFPs, to enhance scale, quality, diversity and
sustainability in order to achieve inclusive financial services.
Source: http://www.pmn.org.pk/about_us.php
Khushhali Bank Limited (KB) was founded in the year 2000; KB was a part of the
Government of Islamic Republic of Pakistan's Poverty Reduction Strategy and its Microfinance
Sector Development Program (MSDP). MSDP was developed with the facilitation of Asian
Development Bank (ADB). With its headquarters based in Islamabad, KB operates under the
supervision of the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) and many central (commercial) banks are its
shareholders. The mandate remains to retail microfinance services and to act as a catalyst in
stabilizing the country's newly formed microfinance sector.
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KB’s Mandate:
Being a commercial based microfinance institution, KB’s purpose is to:
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Establish a sustainable platform of financial services to the poor
accompanied with retail delivery mechanisms.
Facilitate an environment where microfinance can prosper within
Pakistan.
Assist the central bank in setting up an appropriate and a responsive
framework where microfinance institutions operate on sustainable
grounds, thereby expanding their outreach to the poor.
Promote transparency, financial firmness and high quality governance as
leading indicators within country’s microfinance sector.
The Environment:
Khushhali Bank operates under the Microfinance Sector Development Program
(MSDP) which was initiated by the Government of Pakistan through a
Microfinance Development Policy. MSDP has an important objective – to provide
affordable financial and social services to the poor, for a significant impact on
poverty reduction through:
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Increased income of poor households.
Enhanced outreach particularly to women.
Build social capital.
Reduce risks faced by the poor.
The MSDP provides an integrated package of policy reforms and most optimum means for
institutional development, with the objective of outreaching expansion to facilitate growth of
the microfinance sector.
Source: http://www.khushhalibank.com.pk/about_us/index.php
Mr. Ghalib Nishtar is the President and Member of the Board
of Directors of Khushhali Bank Ltd, the country’s first
microfinance bank established under the Government of
Pakistan’s Microfinance Sector Development Programme in
Profile
the year 2000 with an objective of mobilizing funds and
providing sustainable microfinance services to the poor. He
was appointed as the founding president of Khushhali Bank in
2000. Before joining the Khushhali Bank he has worked for
National Bank of Pakistan and served as the Senior Executive
Vice President from 1997- 2000.
Mr. Nishtar started his career in 1982 at Bank of America as a
management trainee, at that time only large corporations had
access to credit and financial services and only industrial
corporations were considered worthy of credit risk.
Mr. Nishtar had his early schooling from Karachi at Habib
Public School. He later moved to Islamabad and did his
masters in computer sciences from Quaid-e-Azam University
in 1982.
Mr. Ghalib Nishtar – President Khushhali Bank interview with media people.
Khushhali Bank Limited (KBL) President Ghalib Nishtar said that bank has so far
provided around Rs.6 billion soft-term loans to some half a million people with the aim to
economic empowerment of those people who could not avail such a facility.
ISLAMABAD -
http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/business/21-Jan-2013/kblprovides-rs-6b-loans-to-mitigate-poverty
MEDIA VISIT - BRIEF
The area manager Mr. Beenesh-ul-Haq, Mr. Fozail and other staff from Khushhali
Bank, Communications team from PMN and media persons visited the clients to
see how they have utilized the small loans extended by KB. The media persons
checked their products and asked questions as to how crucial was the support
from KB in setting up their micro level businesses.
The media team interviewed the clients and covered their stories in multiple
newspapers. The clients shared their perspective and applaud KB’s support in
terms of loan advancement which ultimately enabled them to get out of the
financial crisis and helped setting up their own micro-businesses.
Client’s Profile – Azra Bibi
Ms. Azra lived in Tibba Miani village of
Samma Satta Tehsil & Distt. Bahawalpur. In year
2002, she was passing through very difficult
phase due to increase in her living cost. In the
captioned year a soldier’s family came from Gojra
and started living in her neighborhood. Soldier’s
wife was an expert in knitting. Ms Azra learnt
knitting from the soldier’s wife through machine.
She monthly paid Rs.500/- to soldier’s wife. After
one season she also became an expert in knitting
sweaters and jerseys etc. but she faced the
problem of funds to buy her own knitting
machine and start her own business.
One of her relatives told Ms. Azra that
Khushhalibank can help her in starting her own
business by providing a micro-loan, for which she
needs to approach Khushhali Bank and apply for
a loan. Ms. Azra applied for the loan which got
approve; she purchased a knitting machine
through which she can start earning on her own.
She was much delighted with the help of
Khushhali, she started achieving what she could
not think before.
Now her monthly sales is Rs.8, 000/- and
her current loan cycle is 8. She is very satisfied
with the bank and its services.
Client’s Profile – Irshad Bibi
Ms. Irshad lives in Habib Missin,
Bahawalpur and belongs to a very poor family.
She had limited resources and her living cost was
much higher than available reserves. She tried
hard to get any help from her relatives but could
not get any support from them. It became very
difficult for her to come out from these
circumstances. However she showed the
determination to come out from these financial
crises.
She had a God gifted art to paint and
made pitchers. But she did not have enough
funds to start her own business. Her neighbor
told her that Khushhali Bank can help her in this
regard. As the Bank is working for the poor
persons and aims at poverty alleviation. So, she
approached Khushhali Bank and started availing
loan from it.
At start her monthly sales were less than
Rs.5,000/- , but as her hand made painted
pitchers become popular across the surrounding
villages, her monthly income started increasing.
Now at this moment her monthly sales is almost
Rs. 12,000/-, and her current loan cycle is 8. She
is earning a reasonable profit from it.
In her struggle to success, she showed
the commitment to work hard and earn money
not only for herself but also to support her other
family members. She has now become the
model for others.
For Suggestions & Feedback Email Us At:
wmalik@pmn.org.pk
Or
ashakoor@pmn.org.pk