Last updated on March 20, 2013

The Jordan Micro Credit Company (known as Tamweelcom) is a non-profit microfinance institution founded to support small business projects and provide financial services for the low-income community and women who are not eligible for commercial financing.

Founded in 1999 by the Noor-Al Hussein Foundation, Tamweelcom is managed as a commercial entity that disburses loans for small business owners and provides training, marketing and community-oriented programs. Tamweelcom is committed to providing both financial and non-financial services to its clients, and uses extensive market research and client feedback to maintain its commitment to social responsibility.

Maha Sidqi grows and sells cactus plants to help support her son’s education and disabled daughter with the help of a Tamweelcom loan.

Tamweelcom’s unique lending approach:

The company is also committed to enabling women to succeed in business and enhance their position as decision-makers in their households. Additionally, Tamweelcom has pioneered the use of mobile financial services in the region to help clients in remote areas access financial services

To supplement its financial services, Tamweelcom provides training, marketing and scholarship programs to its clients, designed to support a success-oriented, sustainable work environment. These non-financial programs include networking opportunities, insurance, primary education grants for children of borrowers, business development training, a loyalty card with membership rewards, free medical services, partnerships with e-commerce websites to sell client products online, and a marketing program to promote retail sales.

Tamweelcom is committed to promoting education in Jordan, and since 2007 has provided grants to children of borrowers to cover tuition, books, and uniforms.

Since its founding, Tamweelcom has been honored with a number of awards, often as the first or only organization in the Arab world to receive them. These include:  the King Abdullah II Award for Excellence, Sanabel’s Performance Award in Microfinance, the CGAP Pro-Poor Innovation Challenge Award and Financial Transparency Award, and the Schwab Foundation’s Middle East Regional Social Entrepreneur award given to Tamweelcom’s CEO, Mr. Ziad Al Refai.

Tamweelcom is considered one of the leading microfinance companies in Jordan and the Arab World. It was ranked one of the top ten microfinance institutions worldwide in 2007 and 2008 by the Microfinance Information Exchange (MIX). It has also been praised for its focus on poverty alleviation, client protection, and women’s empowerment, and has received a 4 out of 5 social performance rating from MicroRate.

Want to learn more about Tamweelcom? Follow the organization on Facebook here.

All images courtesy of Tamweelcom.