Welcome to the website of ASA, one of the leading Microfinance Institutions (MFIs) and the best managed MFI of the world. ASA started its mission in 1978 with the aims to improve the condition of the people living at the bottom of the socio-economic pyramid and establish a society free from poverty and economic disparity. Initially, ASA programs focused at awareness-raising and group formation for
the poor aiming at integrated development through asserting rights of the poor, education, mini-irrigation, primary health, credit for income generation etc. Later based on a decade of grassroots experience, it was realized that micro lending might serve as the most effective tool in fighting poverty in Bangladesh. Since then through its innovative, cost-effective and sustainable microfinance approach, it achieved the status of the most efficient MFI in the world in 2007 as selected by Forbes magazine, USA. Besides, ASA won the “Banking at the bottom of the pyramid” award arranged by the Financial Times, London and International Finance Cooperation (IFC) 2008. Presently, ASA renders multifaceted services to more than five million people of Bangladesh as well as underprivileged people of some other developing countries. Up to December 2013 cumulative loan disbursement of ASA was BDT 787 billion (US$ 10.12 billion) while loan outstanding was BDT 54 billion (US$ 0.7 billion). During the period, ASA maintained on the average operational self-sufficiency (OSS) 202.72%, financial self-sufficiency (FSS) 127.03 and rate of recovery 99.63% of the microfinance program. ASA was involved with UNDP Micro-Start program for providing technical assistance to MFI sector in the Philippines and Nigeria to develop there a sustainable microfinance sector which was successfully completed. Beyond Bangladesh, ASA has been proving technical assistance in India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Cambodia, the Philippines, Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda to widen outreach of microfinance. Various poverty alleviation programs in these countries following ASA initiatives have been effectively complementing achievement of the target of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Besides microfinance program, the organization has been operating a good number of non-financial programs. These are: Combined Health and Education program, Health Awareness, Physiotherapy, Primary Healthcare, Eye Treatment Camps, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), etc out of its own resources. Thousands of poor and the underprivileged people are benefited as a result of these programs. I hope this website would be helpful for you to know about ASA. I convey thanks and good wishes to all those who are interested in using sustainable microfinance as a tool to erase the curse of poverty from the world.
