 
Contact Address:
(GAWFA)
Gambia Women's
Finance Association
Banjul area head office (GFC Limited)
Kanifing Industrial Estate
PO Box 81, Banjul
The Gambia, West Africa
Tel no: +220 4397063 
Fax:
4397062
Email: gawfa@gamtel.gm info@gawfa.com
GAWFA Branches:
North Bank Office
Upper River Region
Directions:
From the Mamadi Manjang Highway go into Jimpex road
and take the second turn to your left and the MFI
is located to your right.
Opening Hours:
Monday to Thursday: 9am to 5pm
Friday: 9am to 12.30pm
Saturday/Sunday: Closed
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Information:
The GAWFA Finance Company Gambia Limited (GFC) was founded
in Banjul in 1987 as a non-profit NGO whose main aim is in
empowering low-income women entrepreneurs through microfinance.
It began with a direct lending program offering microcredit
services to poor farmers, people engaged in income generating
commercial activities and enterprise training. In the same
year it was allowed membership into the Women's World Banking
(WWB) network in New York.
Loan Products:
Individual
Large Group
Solitary
Group
* Lending to groups stands at around 65% of its activities
- most of which is outside of Banjul capital.
In 1990 a loans scheme (supported by Standard Chartered Bank
Ltd and the womans World Bank (WWB) was launched to provide
greater access to credit for women. In 1994 however, due to
the quite poor repayment rates, GAWFA made it a condition
that customers had to save money before they were allowed
access to funds. It also introduced a program of group lending.
These changes subsequently resulted in a to a near 100% improvement
in repayment rates.
 In
1997 GAWFA became the initial microfinance institution to
be granted a license to operate as a Savings and Credit Company
by the Central Bank of Gambia. This was in line with the 1992
Financial Institutions Act and is targeted at rural and urban
areas.
At the end of 2010 GAWFA had a total membership of 49,000
with over 14,000 active borrowers on their files. Over 95%
of those that the company lends money to are women who wish
to pursue various business enterprises.
Its membership services includes non-financial assistance
such as training for capacity building via its affiliated
partners and related organisations.
In January 2010 the GAWFA was instructed by the Central Bank
to set up a finance company, with shares, to take over its
financial services activities.
Other Products & Services:
Integrated Savings and Credit Scheme
Business Advice and other Activities
The Voluntary Savings Scheme
Partners:
AECID
Gambia Micro Finance Network
Ministry of NGO Affairs
GOTG & Rural Finance Project - IFAD
The Association of Non Governmental Organizations (TANGO)
The Gambia Social Development Fund (GSDF)
Women's Bureau
WWB
One of its other functions is in the area of campaigning and
lobbying to influence government policy for the benefit of
low income females and microfinance organisations.
Today, GAWFA stands as the first and largest microfinance
institution in The Gambia with a number of branch offices
spread in the rural village areas.
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