Bolivia |
Pro-Mujer
|
Pro-Mujer (Pro Woman in Spanish) is a Grameen Bank Replication Program (GBRP) based in Bolivia. It was established in 1991 as a non-profit development organization to provide financial and human development services to the poor woman of Bolivia. Ms. Lynne Randolph Patterson, together with Ms. Carmen Velasco, a psychologist, founders of Pro-Mujer were inspired by the Grameen Bank Approach (GBA) to empower women through microcredit. Currently Pro-Mujer provides microcredit, business development training and healthcare services to more than 222,000 women. In Bolivia Pro-Mujer operates in El Alto, Cochabamba, Sucre and Trija - the impoverished peri-urban areas around the large cities of Bolivia.
Pro-Mujer has developed a combination of services that satisfy the needs of its clients in a comprehensive manner. It offers financial as well as human development services to its clients. Financial services include microcredit and savings for Community Associations, as well as individual credit. Human development services include skills development and entrepreneurial training.
Grameen Trust has assisted Pro-Mujer in its capacity building effort through training. So far eight persons from Pro-Mujer received training from GT.
Report by : A.S.M. Shahidul Haque |
El Salvador |
| FUNSALDE |
Grameen Trust set up AFundacion Salvadorena Para El Desarrollo (FUNSALDE), a Grameen Bank Replication Program (GBRP) supported by Grameen Trust (GT), was established in 1993 as a non governmental organization to provide microcredit as a means to accelerate income-generating activities for the poorest of El Salvador. FUNSALDE started its operation in one of the worst poverty-stricken part of El Salvador located 24 kilometers north of the capital city, San Salvador.
The project was designed and implemented to raise self-esteem and provide self-employment opportunities. FUNSALDE provides microcredit for the financing of productive and commercial activities, and training and technical assistance. GT has provided financial and technical support to FUNSALDE enabling it to expand its outreach.
As of February 2009, FUNSALDE has cumulatively disbursed US$ 128,528 to its borrowers. The project enjoys a 100% repayment rate.
Report By: Nilufar Ghani
|
| |
Ecuador |
| ACJ-YMCA (CESOL) |
Association Cristiana de Jovenes de Ecuador (ACJ-YMCA-Ecuador) started "Economy Circles of Solidarity" (CESOL), a microcredit project in 1997. In search for an efficient microcredit model, Ms. Cilea Verea, a volunteer of YMCA- Ecuador, learned of the Grameen Bank Approach (GBA) through the Grameen Global Network (GGN). Subsequent implementation of GBA improved the efficiency CESOL significantly. In 2000, after incorporating the Grameen Bank Approach in their microcredit program, the repayment rate at CESOL rose significantly to nearly 100% from the previous 88%, operational cost decreased, and loan delivery mechanism was more effective.
In December 2000, Grameen Trust (GT) approved CESOL's project proposal to start the first ever Grameen Bank replication project (GBRP) in Las Caudras, an area of extremely poor neighborhoods near the south coast of Quito, Ecuador. GT provided CESOL with financial and technical assistance. Till June 2008 the project had cumulatively disbursed nearly US$ 2 million to 2,586 borrowers.
Report By: A.S.M. Shahidul Haque |
| |
