All-Women Local Bank opens in tsunami
hit Meuraxa, Banda Aceh
 Tsunami survivor
from Banda Aceh, Nursabiqah is a 32 year old bank employee on her first
day of trading.
Banda Aceh, 2 February 2006 – Residents of Meuraxa
in Banda Aceh can now deposit their money, apply for loans and get general
financial supports and advice from their own local bank named Baitul
Quiradh Meuraxa.
The bank is a new branch of the shari’ah-based microfinance institution
of Baitul Quiradh Baiturrahman (BQB) – unusual because it is entirely
run by women. BQB lost most of their assets and many of their personnel
and clients in the tsunami of 2004. Meuraxa, which is a district within
Banda Aceh, was one of the worst-hit areas of the tsunami, losing an
estimated 90% of its population and almost all of its buildings and
infrastructure.
With funding from UNDP. BRR and support from ILO, the team from BQB
have set up this latest branch in an office that a year ago was deep
in mud and badly damaged post-tsunami. They have restored the office,
trained staff, installed equipment and are now ready for customers.
”The establishment of this new branch of BQM will enable more
small business communities in this area to get the access to financial
assistance,” said Mrs. Nora Faulina, the Operational Director
of BQM. ”In 2006, we are planning to have 1,000 customers joining
the account and 300 small businesses receiving assistance.”
In addition to supporting this branch of BQM, UNDP, through ILO, will
provide a USD 50,000 loan to be used in their microfinance credit scheme
which will start in the next few weeks. Anyone will be able to apply,
but it is hoped that the fact the bank is run by women will encourage
more local women to use their services.
“We hope that Baitul Quiradh Meuraxa can be a model of long term,
community based assistance for the revitalization of small businesses
in post-disaster area like Aceh,” said Edward McKinnon, Microfinance
Advisor of UNDP in Banda Aceh.
In 2006, BQM will focus on assisting vendors of staple foods and secondary
needs in Aceh Central Market and Kampung Baru, most of whom are residents
of Meuraxa.
In addition to its support to Baitul Quiradh Meuraxa, UNDP has also
conducted series of programs to revitalize the livelihoods of Meuraxa
and Kutaradja (Banda Aceh) through its small business grant assistance
programs that has benefited more than 1,200 small businesses and 3,000
people in the two districts. In other tsunami hit regions, UNDP had
also assisted in the rehabilitation of economic assets as in fish/shrimp
and salt ponds in Pidie; fishery canal, ports and gears in Bireun that
in all have benefited more than 2,000 fishermen families.
Site visits and interviews with any experts involved in this project
can be arranged on request. For further information please contact:
Amron Hamdi at 0651-47598 or HP +62 81360420444 or amron.hamdi@undp.org;
Imogen Wall at +62 811806821 or imogen.wall@undp.org
* * *
UNDP is the United Nations worldwide development network. It advocates
change and provides countries with access to the knowledge, skills and
resources their populations need to improve their lives.
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