Anglican Church of Kenya Diocese of Kitale > Yireh Financial Services

Yireh Financial Services

Ms. Rosemary Odima – YFS Manager

Welcome to Yireh Financial Service (YFS)

About Yireh Financial Services (YFS)

The Yireh Financial Services (YFS) is a subsidiary company of Yireh Foundation Company Limited (YFCL) owned and operated by the Anglican Diocese of Kitale through appointed Trustees and the Management Board. The YFS is headed by a manager who shall be an ex-official and secretary to the Management Board.

Vision

An economically empowered community established on faithful Christian stewardship.

Mission

To provide economic empowerment to the local community members by providing ready access to the financial services, knowledge and skills.

Core Values

  • Integrity
  • Biblical stewardship
  • Transparency and accountability
  • Economic empowerment
  • Professionalism
  • Inclusivity

 Mandate

  • The YFS is mandated to create wealth and reduce poverty through microenterprise programs for its community members and generate income to support the mission activities of the Anglican Diocese of Kitale.
  • All land, buildings and other immovable property and all investments and securities, which shall be acquired by the Trust Groups, shall be vested in the name of “ACK YIREH FINANCIAL SERVICES”, Registered under Companies Act as, YIREH FOUNDATION LIMITED”.

 Functions

The Yireh Financial Services (YFS) shall perform the following functions:

  1. Provision of affordable and easily accessible financial services.
  2. Instilling a culture of saving among members and community.
  • Training Christians on financial management skills and entrepreneurship.
  1. Availing resources from profits for the mission work of ACK Diocese of Kitale.

 Administration and Organizational structure

  • The Board of Directors of YFC is the legal holder responsible for policy and guidelines and shall be the Trustees of Yireh Financial Services (YFS).
  • The YFS Management Board shall provide day-to-day oversight to the running of the Yireh Financial Services. Management Board shall be appointed by the Standing Committee of Synod with recommendation of YFC Board of Directors. They will organize the YFS Annual General Meeting (AGM).
  • The Secretariat (Manager and Staff) of YFS shall be in charge of the day-to-day activities including but not limited to providing technical services to the Trust Groups.
  • The Parish Coordinating Team (PCT) is made up of the Executive Officers of the Managing Committees of each Trust group within a Parish. They shall coordinate and oversee activities of all the Trust Groups within their Parish and link Trust Groups with YFS Office and vice versa.
  • The Trust Group shall be established within a Parish and will be managed by the Managing Committee who will run day-to-day activities of the Trust Groups. They will organize the Trust Group’s Annual Conference Meeting (ACM).

 Membership and Charges

  • Membership shall be done under two categories:
  • The “individual membership” is for those investing into the YFS programme and its accruing personal benefit of earned bonus or interest from the funds invested.
  • The “Trust Group membership” will have access to credit and other benefits of members of the Trust Group.
  • Ledger fees of Ksh.50 per month will be charged on each member. From this amount, Ksh.20 will be credited to the administrative costs of respective Trust Groups, such as, Annual Conference Meeting, YFS authorized travels, etc.

Funds, Loans, and Interest Rates

  • All monies and funds received by the Trust Groups shall be banked in the officially designated account number of the “Yireh Financial Services”.
  • No loan shall be made to any member in excess of 15% of the Trust Group’s total share capital and reserves.
  • The rate of interest on loan shall be 10% per cycle recovered on disbursement.
  • A commitment fee of 2% will be charged for every loan disbursed.

Disposal of Surpluses

Subject to the guidelines and approval by YFS Trustees, Yireh Foundation Company Limited (YFCL), the net surplus resulting from operations during any financial year shall be disposed off as follows:

  • Paying a dividend on shares.
  • The balance may be disposed off as determined by and at the discretion of the YFS Management Board guided by the following framework:
  1. Twenty-five percent (25%) shall be credited to the Reserve Fund.
  2. The remaining seventy-five percent (75%) shall be applied on equal percentages of 15% percent (of total balances) to each of the following five (5) entities:
  • Trust Group in proportion to their invested capital in YFS
  • Parish in proportion to the capital invested in YFS by its Trust Groups
  • Diocesan Office
  • Yireh Financial Services
  • Yireh Foundation Company Limited

 Loan Repayment and Monitoring and Evaluation

Managing Committee of Trust Groups is responsible for monitoring and evaluation of loans repayments.

Milestones

The YFS office was opened for business on 1st August 2020, with a mandated to create wealth and reduce poverty through micro-enterprise programs for its community members and generate income to support the mission activities of the Anglican Diocese of Kitale. YFS has partnered with Just Earth organization to grow our customer base through the Farmers Field Schools (FFS) by purchasing farm inputs on loan basis. All members registered with the FFS are automatically members of YFS.

  • YFS members celebrate their First anniversary in September 2021
  • YFS members from different groups receiving their FIRST Loan disbursement in October 2021
  • YFS members from different groups receiving their Second Loan disbursement in April 2022

Challenges

  • Insufficient work force
  • Insufficient Budget for the department
  • Training activities and sensitization of clergy and lay leadership.

Way Forward

Aggressive marketing, continued sensitization through the parish priests and recruitment of more Christians in all parishes with in the Diocese of Kitale.