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Access to microfinance information opens doors for Bosnia's disadvantaged groups
09 Jun 2008 11:13:20 GMT
 Source: World Vision Middle East/Eastern Europe office (MEERO)
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The Hasanovic family used an EKI housing repair loan to ready their home for winter. Photo by John Schenk.
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The Hasanovic family used an EKI housing repair loan to ready their home for winter. Photo by John Schenk.
World Vision MEERO, http://meero.worldvision.org

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Access to information is a privilege and a right that disadvantaged Bosnians can now benefit from thanks to an upgraded microfinance website developed by World Vision's microfinance foundation, EKI.

The upgraded site- a first for MFIs in the country, conforms to EU standards 'eEurope 2002: Accessibility of Public Web Sites and their Content', for the browser used by people with disabilities.

EKI's web site now opens the door for community inclusion of people with disabilities, who are often denied the opportunities and rights that others expect and take for granted.

'If you are poor and have a disability you are doubly discriminated against and will have very little likelihood of being able to access different social and financial information', stated Mrs. Sadina Bina, EKI Chief Executive Officer.

She added, 'EKI as a socially responsible organisation introduced this innovation in order to reach all levels of the poor population in Bosnia and Herzegovina including people with disabilities.

During the web development phase EKI took into consideration all users and their needs for accessing web content available on its web site.

Special attention was given to the needs of people with disabilities but also to that segment of the population that has difficulty reading, those that cannot recognise colours or people with poor Internet connection.

All these constraints are now regulated by making the EKI web site available in a format that is compatible for special browsers typically used by people with disabilities.

In other words, all written content is translated into an audible voice, all pictures with text are described and translated into audio and all colours have been adjusted in a certain order.

This is the first time in BiH that an MFI is giving equal 'informational' opportunity to people with disabilities and also those with other obstacles to access information that can improve their life and the lives of their children and family.

This development is just one part of EKI's ongoing drive to include vulnerable clients and continue to meet and exceed their target of at least 10% of clients from various vulnerable groups.

EKI is one of the leading MFIs in the country, serving 44,000 clients with a US$141 million loan portfolio.

More details about EKI are available at: www.eki.ba

-Ends-


[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]

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[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]

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Last updated:Mon Jun 9 11:46:26 2008