C.M.N. (Community Microfinance Network)

 Vision:
To support a Southern African network of grassroots social movements practising appropriate savings and credit as part of a broader strategy of social, economic, and political change, with key facilitators being drawn from Federation of the Urban Poor (FEDUP) and Poor People’s Movement (PPM).

Activities:

• Development of a savings and credit ‘paradigm’ that suits the needs and goals of a Southern African network of grassroots social movements
• Support for horizontal exchanges and other opportunities for learning about good savings and credit practise (new, old, free-floating, housing, etc.)
• Influencing the broader environment of policy and practise for savings and credit amongst grassroots social movements
• Providing specific advisory, advocacy, and learning services to grassroots social movements and their support organisations 

Goals:
To provide a resource for learning about appropriate savings and credit and related economic practises in a way that builds and strengthens a Southern African network of grassroots social movements

The CMN is an autonomous project hosted by the Community Organisation Urban Resource Centre in Cape Town.

The CMN is neither a lender nor an NGO in its own right. Its main services are exchange programmes, advocacy, research and documentation, and institutional support

The CMN offers resources for institution-to-institution exchanges as well as periodic meetings on topics and in formats of value to participants themselves, rather than as determined by outside agencies such as donors. These resources are channeled through FEDUP and PPM. This allows these participating institutions to interact directly in a practical setting.

The nature and extent of these activities is largely up to the participants and is determined by their interests and needs, but a key goal is to allow participants — at both NGO and community level — to learn from and support each other.

www.cmfnet.org.za