Frequently Ask Questions
1. What is GHAPE? Grounded and Holistic Approach for People's Empowerment (GHAPE) is a registered non-profit and apolitical association in Cameroon; registered on August 3, 2000 in conformity with law No 99/014/99. Itʼs registration No. 0014/E.29/1111/VOL.8/APPB.
2. Where is the Head office of GHAPE? GHAPE head office is in Bamenda, the head-quarter of the North-West Region, Cameroon.
3. What are GHAPE contacts?
Physical address: Rendez-vous junction, Longla Street, Bamenda.
Postal/mailing address: P.O Box 680 Mankon-Bamenda, N.W. Region, Cameroon.
Tel: + (237) 33 36 38 89
Fax: + (237) 33 36 38 89
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Website: www.ghape.org
4. How many branch offices have GHAPE? Currently GHAPE has one branch office located in Belo in Boyo Division in the North-West Region. GHAPE intend to have branches in the future in every community all over Cameroon and beyond, as resources permit.
5. Why did GHAPE start in Bamenda? The founder of GHAPE, Bernadette A. Ngoh understood the culture of the people in this region and decided to start there as it cut down on the cost of feasibility studies. In any case, GHAPE had to start somewhere and it started in Bamenda.
6. What is the human resource strength of GHAPE? GHAPE has a committed team of staff, board members and volunteers. Currently there are 10 staff, 11 board members, 2 (on the average) full-time volunteer and 2 (minimum) part-time volunteers at each time.
7. What are the conditions to become board member? Membership on the board is open to everybody who wants to contribute to the mission of the organization and complies with registration and other engagements requirements.
8. What benefits are there for board members? Benefits are limited to personal satisfaction of “reaching-out” or “giving” to the underprivileged and communities. There are no financial benefits of any kind.
9. What type of services are offer by GHAPE? GHAPE services are financial, functional trainings and social education.
10. How are services offered? GHAPE services are offered as a package in a sequential and simultaneous order. This strategy was adopted following results of needs assessment which revealed that the poor have multiple and interrelated problems.
11. Do borrowers pay for the trainings and social education? First time borrowers do not make any financial contribution towards training cost. Second and subsequent time borrowers contribute minimally. At present second time borrowers contribute 500 Francs (US$1.00) as training fees.
12. How much is the loan? Loan amounts are determined by a number of factors; the community, year in the program, utilization of previous loans and compliance to rules and regulations. At present maximum loans for first time borrowers is 40,000 Francs and the highest loan is 600,000 Francs.
13. Are loans given to individuals or groups? Loans are given to individuals within groups. Five persons form a group.
14. Where are the loans given? Loans are disbursed and repaid at center meetings. Center meetings are where all financial activities are transacted. Presently center meetings hold twice per month. First to fourth time borrowers attend center meetings every fourth-night while fifth plus time borrowers attend center meeting monthly.
15. What is a center? A center is made up of eight groups. Centers are located in borrowerʼs neighborhood, in the premises of one of the borrowers of the center.
16. Is interest charged on loans? At present GHAPE charges a service fee called thanks charge (TC) of 15% flat per annum, i.e. 1.25% per month on initial loan capital. This minimal charge is to cover administrative costs. TC is paid in equal installments during loan duration.
17. Where do GHAPE get funds for its activities? Sources of funds for activities are donations, grants, loans, savings, board members registration and dues, and sustainability levies on certain services.
18. Can individuals lend money to GHAPE? Yes. Individuals, groups and organizations can lend money to GHAPE under defined loan conditions.
19. Can a lender dictate to whom his money should be loaned out? Lenders can choose which borrower or business to finance in a situation where businesses have been advertised for funding. Beside this, GHAPE has autonomy in sanctioning loans to its borrowers and updating lenders of the businesses.
20. Can lenders decides or influence where GHAPE should create centers? NO. GHAPE has a geographical expansion plan which is influence by economic and other factors.
21. What is the repayment rate of loans? It is 100%. Since the inception of GHAPE in October 1998 all loans have been repaid in full.
22. What happens to a loan when the borrower passes away? When a borrower dies all outstanding loan installments not due repayment at the time of death is declared bad-debt and the lender to that borrower accommodates the loss.
23. What benefits are available to families of deceased members? When a borrower dies the total outstanding loan is declared bad debt. The total savings of the borrower are paid to the family through the group. Members of the center and staff of the program are present and participate at the burial. Presently GHAPE disburses 40,000 Francs as funeral dues to the family if the member is up-to-date in the payment of current annual insurance premium of 1,000 Francs.
24. Can a spouse, child or relative take over the account of a deceased borrower? No. Presently membership into the program is determined only through BNT eligibility screening test.
25. What population is GHAPE serving? GHAPE target population are the “poor” i.e. the underprivileged especially women and young people.
26. How Does GHAPE determine eligibility? GHAPE has constructed a poverty measurement tool, Basic Needs Test (BNT). The BNT is an exclusive targeting tool used to screen for eligibility into the program. This test has a cut off score.
27. Is GHAPE affiliated to networks or in partnership with other organizations? GHAPE is affiliated to the North-West Development Association which is a network of local NGOs. GHAPE has partnership agreement with the Netherlands Development Organization (SNV), the German Development organization (DED) and Kiva. GHAPE is currently soliciting for partnership with more international organizations and affiliations.
28. Can funds be raised and not disbursed to borrower on a given date? Yes. Reasons why raised funds (or funded businesses) might not be disbursed to target Borrowers within lenders anticipated time are diverse. This could result from organizational policies, procedures or external forces. At least one or more of the following reasons might be a cause:
- Target client might not have obtained an emerged functional skill(s) need, needed for that particular business or activity.
- It was not yet the clientʼs turn to receive the loan following nomination. Nomination is done in a staggering order of 2:2:1. The Target client might be the last in the order.
- It takes ideally three months to disburse loans to all five members of a group following this staggering order.
- Emerged problems, e.g. poor health, matrimonial issues, could delay disbursement of loan to target client.
- Late arrival of funds: Bank transfers sometimes delay and this hinders disbursement as previously scheduled. That is, monies sometimes arrive after the planned disbursement date. In most of the current centers loans are disbursed once a month i.e. in the center meetings where all members are expected to be present.
- Inadequate credit funds: Funds transfer charges (i.e. at local banks) and exchange-rate fluctuation reduces the amount that lenders have given and consequently reduces the actual amount needed by the target borrower. Hence actual received funds are not sufficient to fund all businesses funded for that period.
- Group members sometimes change positions of candidates nominated after businesses have been posted and funds raised for varied fundamental reasons. This is often done in the interest of all partiesʼ concerned including the lender.
- Absenteeism of target Borrower at center meetings where the loan disbursement is scheduled.
37. Do you have a loan policy? Yes. Our loan policy describes the different types of loans and the conditions to access loans. Click here for policies
38. Do GHAPE offer internship and volunteer opportunities? Yes. Click here for policies