by Anaya Jhaveri -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Pro Mujer Borrows $2m from Aequitas Impact Fund to Uplift Women-owned Businesses in Nicaragua

The Canadian NGO Desjardins International Development (DID) recently lent USD 2 million from its Aequitas Impact Fund to the Nicaragua-based unit of Pro Mujer, a US-based NGO that supports women and their businesses with health, training,

by the MicroCapital Team -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: “Digital Pro Mujer” Offers Financial Education, Digital Literacy Training, Mentoring, Loans, Mobile Money to Women in Latin America

The US-based social enterprise Pro Mujer recently launched “Digital Pro Mujer,” targeting southeastern Mexico, but open to women entrepreneurs and employees across Latin America. The platform offers a range of services, including digital wallets as well as virtual education and mentoring to help users develop digital and financial skills. The digital wallets offer services such as savings

by the MicroCapital Team -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Pro Mujer Launches Emprende Platform to Incubate Women-owned Microenterprises in Latin America

The US-based social enterprise Pro Mujer today launched the pilot phase of its Emprende platform, a Spanish-language resource for women running “subsistence” enterprises. Pro Mujer chose 600 women from 3,000 applicants to participate in the three-month pilot, which offers “pre-incubation” and incubation services in three categories:

Skills – Based on the idea of lifelong learning, Emprende offers learning opportunities, including via “edutainment,” with new content to be developed based on customer requests.

Collaboration – The platform includes a “collaborative hub,” with content partners such as the US-based technology firms Microsoft and Platsi. Platsi is a trilingual

by Harriet Ritchie -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Deetken Impact Invests in Pro Mujer Mexico – Provider of Education, Healthcare, Microfinance – Through Ilu Women’s Empowerment Fund

Canada-based asset management company Deetken Impact and US-based nonprofit women’s development organization Pro Mujer recently announced they are making an investment in Pro Mujer Mexico from the investment vehicle they co-manage, the Ilu Women’s Empowerment Fund. The parties to the transaction wish

by Harriet Ritchie -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Deetken Impact, Pro Mujer Raise $1.3m from USAID for Ilu Women’s Empowerment Fund to Deploy in Latin America, Caribbean

Canada-based asset management company Deetken Impact and US-based nonprofit women’s development organization Pro Mujer recently announced they have raised USD 1.3 million from the US Agency for International Development (USAID) for the Ilu Women’s Empowerment Fund, which is active in Latin America and the Caribbean. Deetken plans to leverage a portion of the funding to attract private investment, adding a total of USD 5 m

by Jolene Khor -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: OPIC Commits $10m to Ilu Women’s Empowerment Fund, Managed by Deetken Impact and Pro Mujer, for Entrepreneurship, Housing, Leadership, Microfinance, Value Chains

The Overseas Private Investment Cooperation (OPIC), an agency of the US government that promotes economic partnerships in countries deemed important to US interests, recently announced that it has committed senior debt totaling USD 10 million to the Ilu Women’s Empowerment Fund, an investment vehicle managed by Canada-based private equity firm Deetken Impact and US-based nonprofit Pro Mujer. Various Canadian foundations, credit unions and other investors, which have not been identified publicly, previously invested USD 15 million in the fund. Of the USD 25 million now committed to the

by Charlotte Newman -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Pro Mujer Bolivia, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH (GIZ) Partner to Raise Awareness of Violence Against Women

Pro Mujer Bolivia, a branch of the US-based nonprofit Pro Mujer, recently secured unspecified support from Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH (GIZ), the German Agency for Technical Cooperation, to raise awareness of violence against women among Pro Mujer employees.

by Lena Phillips -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Austria’s Absolute Portfolio Management Loans $11m to Microfinance Institutions Through Vision Microfinance Funds, Including $1.5m to Pro Mujer Bolivia, $1.5m to PRIDE Tanzania, $750k Renewed to FINCA Tanzania

In December 2012, Dual Return-Vision Microfinance and Dual Return-Vision Microfinance Local Currency, two funds managed by Austria-based asset management company Absolute Portfolio Management (APM), disbursed a total equivalent to USD 11.75 million in loans to microfinance institutions (MFIs) worldwide, including MFIs in Latin America and Africa.

by Ariana Malushi -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Working Capital for Community Needs (WCCN) Loans $1.2m to Microfinance Operations of Pro Mujer in Nicaragua, Peru

Working Capital for Community Needs Incorporated (WCCN), a US-based nonprofit, has loaned the equivalent of USD 1.2 million in local currency to support the operations of microfinance institution (MFI) Pro Mujer in Nicaragua and Peru.

by Nisha Koul -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Global Partnerships Lends $1.2m to Microfinance Institutions Pro Mujer, Café y Desarrollo of Mexico, Fundación Campo of El Salvador

Global Partnerships (GP), a US-based nonprofit organization that supports microfinance institutions (MFIs) in Latin America, recently announced that it will make loans totaling the equivalent of USD 1.2 million in three microfinance institutions (MFIs): Pro Mujer, for its Mexican operations; Café y Desarrollo of Mexico; and Fundación Campo of El Salvador [1].

by Rohan Trivedi -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Grameen Foundation, US Agency for International Development (USAID) to Provide $1.5m in Credit Guarantees to Back Local-Currency Loans From Peruvian Credit Union Abaco to Microfinance Institutions (MFIs) Pro Mujer, Asociación Arariwa of Peru

Grameen Foundation, a US-based nonprofit organization that supports microfinance institutions (MFIs), and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), a government agency that provides international economic and humanitarian assistance, will respectively provide credit guarantees worth USD 300,000 and USD 1.2 million to Cooperative de Ahorro y Credito Abaco, a Peruvian credit union.

by Julie Moksim -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Global Partnerships (GP) Renews Existing Loan, Makes New $500k Loan to Pro Mujer Nicaragua; Converts $1.2m Loan into Local Currency for Credivision Peru

Global Partnerships (GP), a microfinance organization with offices in the United States and Nicaragua, recently reported to MicroCapital that it made new loans and renewed existing loans to microfinance institutions (MFIs) in Latin America worth USD 2.3 million.

by Witt Gatchell -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Microfinance Investment Manager BlueOrchard Finance Invests $8m in Caja Municipal de Ahorro y Crédito (CMAC) Ica and Crear Arequipa of Peru, Pro Mujer Bolivia and Fundación para el Desarrollo Socioeconómico Rural (FUNDESER) of Nicaragua

BlueOrchard Finance SA, a subsidiary of Switzerland-based commercial microfinance intermediary BlueOrchard, recently reported to MicroCapital the details of four debt investments made during the month of September 2010 to microfinance institutions (MFIs) Caja Municipal de Ahorro y Crédito (CMAC) Ica and Crear Arequipa of Peru, the Bolivian operations of Pro Mujer and Fundación para el Desarrollo Socioeconómico Rural (FUNDESER) of Nicaragua.

by Matthew Fox -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: responsAbility Social Investments AG of Switzerland Invests $4.31m in Microfinance Institutions (MFIs) ProCredit Mexico and Pro Mujer

responsAbility Social Investments AG, a Swiss microfinance investment vehicle (MIV) manager, recently reported to MicroCapital that it has executed debt investments totaling the equivalent of USD 4.31 million in microfinance institutions (MFIs) ProCredit Mexico and Pro Mujer, with the loan to Pro Mujer being directed to its operations in Mexico.

by Jennifer Shevock -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: responsAbility Global Microfinance Fund and Mikrofinanz-Fonds Provide Loans Totaling $5.1m to Pro Mujer Bolivia, Coffee Central Agricultural Cooperatives COCLA LTDA (COCLA) of Peru and Asociacion Union de Cafetaleros Ecologicos (Unicafec) of Peru

The responsAbility Global Microfinance Fund and the responsAbility Mikrofinanz-Fonds, microfinance investment vehicles founded by responsAbility Social Investments AG, recently reported to MicroCapital that they have provided debt financing to the Bolivian arm of Pro Mujer, a microfinance institution supporting poor women in Latin America; Coffee Central Agricultural Cooperatives COCLA LTDA (COCLA), a Peruvian coffee cooperative; and Asociacion Union de Cafetaleros Ecologicos (Unicafec), a Peruvian coffee producers association.