People throughout Yemen continue to be living in the midst of Civil War, with much of the country having become a war zone. Despite the ongoing challenges facing the country, Al-Amal is working to provide loans to individuals who have business or personal credit needs. Loans can be used to cover crucial business expenses or household needs. By lending to this borrower, you are helping people in Yemen during this especially difficult time for the country.
About Al-Amal Microfinance Bank:
Al-Amal reaches out to low-income micro-entrepreneurs and small business owners in Yemen with a suite of credit, savings, and insurance products tailored for Muslim borrowers. Before lending through Al-Amal, please consider the following:
1) Due to ongoing security concerns, full due-diligence of Al-Amal was conducted remotely rather than on-site. This makes Al-Amal atypical among Kiva’s Field Partners, as Kiva staff have not conducted an on-site assessment. Al-Amal’s assessment included in-person meetings with the top management in other, more secure locations in the Middle East.
2) Because Yemen is a new and unstable environment, there is a possibility that future loan repayments could be held indefinitely in the country for regulatory reasons, even if individual borrowers pay back their loans. As a lender to borrowers in Yemen, you accept this additional risk.
Additionally, all of Al-Amal’s products are Sharia compliant and customized for its Muslim clients. Most of the loans are structured as Murabaha interest free loans. Al-Amal purchases goods for its borrowers and charges them a markup or fee. Al-Amal is also experimenting with Ijarah loans (an Islamic leasing product). For more information on Islamic microfinance.
A loan of $1,200 helps to purchase various merchandise for his grocery store.