Mercy Corps, a global relief and development agency based in the US, has informed MicroCapital that it has established a facility called “Fund for Rebuilding Communities through Micro-enterprise (FRCM)” to give grants for the rebuilding of small businesses that were damaged during the recent violence in Kyrgyzstan. Mercy Corps is reportedly seeking donations to reach its goal of USD 2 million for FRCM. The fund will target businesses in the cities of Osh and Jalal-Abad in Kyrgyzstan, of which recent violence reportedly destroyed 5,000 small businesses.

According to Catherine Brown, Kyrgyzstan Country Director for Mercy Corps, “One of the results of the violence in southern Kyrgyzstan was the destruction of approximately 5,000 micro businesses which provide the primary source of family income. It is crucial that these microentrepreneurs, many of whom also lost their homes, receive support so that they can move towards self-sufficiency. Mercy Corps’ Fund for Rebuilding Communities through Micro-enterprise (FRCM) provides microentrepreneurs with a small amount of start-up capital to rebuild their micro businesses and regain their livelihoods.”

Mercy Corps operates in 39 countries to provide disaster relief. As of June 2009, the organization had total assets of USD 163 million.

By Julia Korn, Research Associate

About Mercy Corps:

Mercy Corps is a global relief and development agency based in the US. It operates in 39 countries to provide disaster relief. As of June 2009, the organization had total assets of USD 163 million.

Sources and Additional Resources:

[1] Mercy Corps Press Release. “Mercy Corps Establishes Fund for Rebuilding Communities through Micro-enterprise (FRCM).” Submitted to MicroCapital on July 20, 2010.

MicroCapital Universe. Mercy Corps. http://www.microcapital.org/microfinanceuniverse/tiki-index.php?page=Mer…

Browse the MicroCapital Universe and add your entry to the wiki at http://www.microcapital.org/microfinanceuniverse/