Amasezerano Community Banking, S.A. is a for-profit microfinance institution founded in 2005 by the Rwandan NGO African Evangelist Enterprises-Rwanda and 61 individual shareholders. The mission of Amasezerano Community Bank (ACB) is to have a holistic, positive impact on the lives of poor people by providing quality financial services.
On June 20, 2006, ACB was granted official approval to collect deposits and offer loans as a microfinance institution by the National Bank of Rwanda. Operations officially began on the 21st of August, 2006 from ACB's first branch in Kicukiro, a neighborhood in Kigali, the capital of Rwanda. Today, Amasezerano operates five branch offices, Nyarugenge, Nyabugogo, Bugesera and Rubavu. ACB has invested in technology which allows information to be shared between branches quickly and easily, which allows their clients to deposit savings and withdraw money at the most conveniently located bank branch, a convenience many microfinance institutions do not offer.
ACB's client base is composed primarily of farmers, small business owners, women entrepreneurs and low-wage private-sector salaried workers. Savings offerings include checking accounts, fixed deposit accounts, and savings accounts. Credit offerings are tailored to meet client needs, and include group solidarity loans, agricultural loans, loans for women entrepreneurs, small business loans, and loans for salaried workers. ACB also offers money transfer, currency exchange and life insurance services to its borrowers.
Since it was founded, Amasezerano has grown at a remarkable rate, and continues to work toward its vision of making a significant contribution to the advancement of poor Rwandans while maintaining financial sustainability. In Kinyaranda, Amasezerano means promise. For Amasezerano, living up to this name means playing an active role in empowering a population scarred by war and the terrible genocide of 1994 so that poor Rwandans can enjoy prosperity, dignity, and peace.