eServices
1. Remittance
Almost all Remittance (money transfer) agents are limited to urban areas in the coutry. It is important to know that, however, the migrant workers mostly generate from rural areas. Magnus, through its strategic sister concern Quantum Sub Remit Services Pvt. Ltd., extends the services into the heart of rural areas. International agent, Himal Remit, brings the remit money from international destinations to Kathmandu and then Magnus extends the in-country money transfer to these rural areas through its PCP partner MFIs. With average of 600 household members per small farmers cooperatives (other MFIs have up to 300 only) in rural areas the remit service now need not travel to urban areas. Moreover, the remit service is Internet based and the cooperatives can monitor all remit transaction real time. For more information on the remit service, please, visit Quantum.
2. Daily Agro-based Product Prices through Mobile Phone and Internet
Magnus broadcasts daily Agro-based Product Prices of three major markets--Kathmandu, Pokhara and Narayangadh, the Green Trinagle. For Kalimati Fruits and Vegetable Development Board, Kathmandu, the board provides us a copy of daily price. For remaining locations, Magnus Social Entrepreneurs (MSEs) provide us daily agro price info. The information is converted in to Nepali Unicode and fed into there sever. By using 3399 short code, interested parties can request product prices through Mobile Phone or simple visit website. Please, visit Telecenters.org.np for instruction and/or the information.
3. eContent
Through Telecenters.org.np, Magnus also identifies, collects, digitize and localize eContent for rual online visitors. With the Ministry of Information and Communications (MoIC) as partner in Private Public Partnership (PPP), we have Letter of Intent (LoI) signed by more that 25 Nepal Government agencies and I/NGOs: these signees are our content providers. To name some of the partners: Practical Actions, ICIMOD, MEDEP, Department of Women Development, Department of Agriculture, Non-formal Education, FWLD, LACC, SAATHI. The four primary intervention areas, based on "Japan Fund for ICT: Empowering Rural Areas through Community e-Center" project--which was managed by Magnus--are: 1) Agriculture; 2) Women Empowerment; 3) Employment; and 4)Education. (Health was identified as fifth).
4. MFI Software Solutions
There are four types of software solutions for different type of MFIs, including for MF bank: 1) Saral Bitta (Simple Finance) for developmental cooperatives; 2) SimFin Pro for SACCOs; 3) FOSS based Mifos (product of Grameen Foundation and Magnus is a certified Mifos Specialist) for Grameen model MFIs; and MicroFin for MF banks.
5. MFI Sowtare Solutions
As strategic parnter of eSewa, now PCP parnter MFIs are our Internet and mobile payment outlets through out rural areas. There are eight banks that are withing the network ounder eSewa and any account holder in any of the branks can deposit or withdraw money with customer's online eSewa account.
6. Market Linkage
There are two cash-crops currently Magnus links market for the MFI members: 1) Organic, wet processed coffee; and 2) Green tea. The farmers are educated on how to wet process the coffee beans and are provided with buy back gaurantee. The coffees are harvested in Dhading, Lamjung and Argakhanchi Districts. For the tea there are three MFIs which help farmers grow and produce tea. Magnus builds capacity on how to make green teas and link market for the same. In future, organic Oranges and Herbs are of interests to link to international market.
7. Promotion and use of appropriate technologies
For all computer hardware, we promote locally assembled CPUs and LCD monitors. With the locally assembled CPU purchase, local service is gauranteed; LCD monitors, as we all know, consumes less power than CRT. Magnus has also piloted Renewable Energy Technology (RET) at SFC to conduct feasibility study: whether, without government susidies on RETs, coops can, on their own, invest in such infrastructure. (See the appreciation letter from Chayanpur SFC, Dhading.)
For software, we promote Free and Open Souce Software (FOSS) tools. In line to this, mifos is developed in Java technology and we are customizing it; Simple Finance software is being re-written in Java technology; Nepal Kanun Patrika is written in Java technology as well.
For schools (both rural and urban) where multiple desktop computers are required, we promote virtualization technology. Specifically, we successfully tested NComputing product for both Ubuntu and Windows (for those who prefer this over Ubuntu) version of Operating Systems and we are satisfied with the results. We are the only reseller of the product in Nepal. The product has been used in rural schools and Community e-Centers.Please see images of rural schools: 1 2 3.
8. Employmnet Oppertunities for Rural Job Seekers
One of the key services is employment oppertunities for rural job seekers and access to relevant information. and relevant information to rural job seekers directly through its PCP MFIs. This bgound breaking approach comprises of 50 repurted manpower companies in Kathmandu which will transparently share information on job qualifications, actual fees on Visa and aifrare and service fee. With this Internet based service, applicants need not now worry about multiple costly visits to Kathmandu, high cost of socially irresponsible agents, better job matching oppertunities and, ultimately, gaurantee. PCP MFIs will promote the service while facilitating filling out online forms and providing other relevant information.
9. Magnus Social Enterpreneurs (MSEs)
To promote our eServices and then to backstop PCP parters for capacity building and follow up services, our full time MSEs are located at nine different locations. From east to west: Bidtamod, Itahari, Janakpur, Chitwan, Dhading, Butwal Pokhara Nepalgunj and Dhangadi. For more information please, write to us: contact@magnus.com.np.
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CGAP conducts a two-day virtual Webinar on MFIs, their ICT needs and service providers. The webinar is part of the workshop series that held in US, Africa and India. In the two-day Webinar, there are some popular topics than others. The Webinar is being held during July 8th and 9th, 2010. Read More »
Magnus Consulting Group Pvt. Ltd. had won the bidding to develop MF banking software for Sana Kisan Bikash Bank Limited (SKBBL), also known as Small Farmer Development Bank. Read More »
Mr. Tikajit Rai writes for MicroFinance Insight, a bimonthly international magazine, a US based MFI knowledge base company. This agreement was reached at recent MasterCard, Grameen Foundation and CGAP funded workshop series that was held in Hyderabad in April, 2010. Read More »
Magnus conducted second follow up coffee (wet) processing for the second year at Dhading district for Chayanpur, Maidi, Jiwanpur and Jamrung VDCs. Read More »
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