Freedom from Hunger, a US-based non-governmental organization that aims to alleviate poverty, and Oikocredit, a Dutch cooperative investment fund, plan to partner with six microfinance institutions (MFIs) in the Andes mountains of Ecuador and Peru to implement Freedom from Hunger’s microfinance and health protection model. Freedom from Hunger and Oikocredit have worked with the MFIs to better understand client needs and develop health packages to improve both health knowledge and access to basic health services. Each institution has developed a customized program with a variety of services such as health savings, health loans and linkages to health microinsurance and healthcare providers. The programs will be modeled after tools and resources developed by the following five MFIs over the course of a four-year pilot initiative: CRECER in Bolivia, Association pour la Promotion et l’ Appui au Développement de MicroEntreprises (PADME) in Benin, Le Reseau des Caisses Populaires du Burkina (RCPB) in Burkina Faso, Bandhan in India and CARD in the Philippines. The new health programs will begin in early 2012.
Two of the six MFIs that are launching the program are in Ecuador: Cooprogreso and Fundacion de Apoyo Comunitario y Social del Ecuador (FACES). Those in Peru are: Agencia Adventista para el Desarrollo y Recursos Asistenciales Peru (ADRA), Financiera Confianza, FINCA Peru and Microfinanzas Prisma.
At the end of 2011, Freedom from Hunger was working with a total of 150 partners reaching approximately 3.9 million women plus their families. As of year-end 2010, Oikocredit reported USD 900 million in total assets and 790 active investees, of which 596 were MFIs.
The 53 Ecuadorian MFIs that reported 2010 data to the US-based Microfinance Information Exchange (MIX) held an aggregate gross loan portfolio of USD 1.7 billion disbursed to approximately 700,000 borrowers. The 65 Peruvian MFIs that reported data for the same year held an aggregate gross loan portfolio of USD 7 billion disbursed to approximately 3.3 million borrowers.
By Charlotte Newman, Research Associate
About Freedom from Hunger
Freedom from Hunger is based in the US city of Davis, California. Formerly called “Meals for Millions,” it is an NGO that operates in 19 countries with the aim of alleviating hunger and poverty. Its microfinance programs service approximately 2 million families through 26 partner microfinance institutions. At the end of 2011, Freedom from Hunger was working with a total of 150 partners reaching approximately 3.9 million women plus their families.
About Oikocredit
Oikocredit is a Dutch cooperative investment fund comprised of church groups, cooperatives and individual investors. Established in 1975, it works in 70 countries, investing mainly in microfinance institutions (MFIs), as well as trade cooperatives, fair trade organizations and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the developing world. As of year-end 2010, Oikocredit reported USD 900 million in total assets and 790 active investees, of which 596 were MFIs.
Sources and Additional Resources:
Information sent to MicroCapital by Freedom from Hunger: “Freedom from Hunger and Oikocredit Partner Link Health and Microfinance in the Andes.”
Freedom from Hunger: “Microfinance and Health Protection,” http://www.freedomfromhunger.org/programs/mahp.php
MicroCapital.org story, January 28, 2012, “MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Microcredit Summit Campaign, Freedom from Hunger Partner on Effort to Bring Health Services to 3.7m, Program to be Piloted in India,” https://www.microcapital.org/microcapital-brief-microcredit-summit-campaign-freedom-from-hunger-partner-on-effort-to-bring-health-services-to-3-7m-program-to-be-piloted-in-india/
MicroCapital.org story, February 21, 2011, “MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Freedom from Hunger Microfinance and Health Protection (MAHP) Initiative Reaches Peru, Vietnam, Cambodia; Expands in India,” https://www.microcapital.org/microcapital-brief-freedom-from-hunger-microfinance-and-health-protection-mahp-initiative-reaches-peru-vietnam-cambodia-expands-in-india/
MicroCapital Universe Profile: Freedom from Hunger
https://www.microcapital.org/microfinanceuniverse/tiki-index.php?page=freedom+from+hunger
MicroCapital Universe Profile: Oikocredit
https://www.microcapital.org/microfinanceuniverse/tiki-index.php?page=Oikocredit
MicroCapital Universe Profile: Cooprogreso
https://www.microcapital.org/microfinanceuniverse/tiki-index.php?page=Cooprogreso
MicroCapital Universe Profile: Fundacion de Apoyo Comunitario y Social de Ecuador (FACES)
https://www.microcapital.org/microfinanceuniverse/tiki-index.php?page=Fundacion+de+Apoyo+Comunitario+y+Social+del+Ecuador+%28FACES%29
MicroCapital Universe Profile: ADRA
https://www.microcapital.org/microfinanceuniverse/tiki-index.php?page=Agencia+Adventista+para+el+Desarrollo+y+Recursos+Asistenciales
MicroCapital Universe Profile: Financiera Confianza
https://www.microcapital.org/microfinanceuniverse/tiki-index.php?page=Financiera+Confianza
MicroCapital Universe Profile: FINCA International
https://www.microcapital.org/microfinanceuniverse/tiki-index.php?page=FINCA+International
MicroCapital Universe Profile: Microfinanzas Prisma
https://www.microcapital.org/microfinanceuniverse/tiki-index.php?page=Microfinanzas+Prisma
MicroCapital Universe Profile: Crédito con Educación Rural (CRECER)
https://www.microcapital.org/microfinanceuniverse/tiki-index.php?page=CRECER
MicroCapital Universe Profile: Association pour la Promotion et l’ Appui au Développement de MicroEntreprises (PADME)
https://www.microcapital.org/microfinanceuniverse/tiki-index.php?page=Association+pour+la+Promotion+et+l%27+Appui+au+D%C3%A9veloppement+de+MicroEntreprises+%28PADME%29
MicroCapital Universe Profile: Bandhan Financial Services
https://www.microcapital.org/microfinanceuniverse/tiki-index.php?page=Bandhan+Financial+Services+Private+Limited
MicroCapital Universe Profile: Center for Agriculture and Rural Development (CARD)
https://www.microcapital.org/microfinanceuniverse/tiki-index.php?page=Center+for+Agricultural+and+Rural+Development+%28CARD%29+Rural+Bank
Browse the MicroCapital Universe and add your entry to the wiki at https://www.microcapital.org/microfinanceuniverse/
Similar Posts:
- MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Oikocredit Loans MyCredit $2.6m for SME Financing in Kenya
- MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Standard Life Organization Borrows $3m from Oikocredit to Invest in MSMEs, Education in Nigeria
- MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Oikocredit Loans Yellow of Uganda $5m for Off-grid Solar Energy in Africa
- MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: RDG Collective Borrows $2m from Oikocredit for Pay-as-you-go Solar Appliances for 12k Low-income Households in Zambia
- MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Oikocredit Lends $3.3m to Witti Finances to Support SMEs in Côte d’Ivoire