Social microfinance

2020 statistics

What is microfinance? Why give it a social dimension? What are the stakes?

Entrepreneurs du Monde, is an association created in 1998, which supports the social and economic integration of people in very precarious situations in Africa, Asia, Haiti and France. To do this, we rely on four key development areas: social microfinance, access to energy, support for the creation of very small businesses (VSBs)/workforce integration and agro-entrepreneurship.  Entrepreneurs du Monde offers microfinance with a social dimension, enabling the poorest people to access financial services, to develop an income-generating activity and improve their living conditions.

What is microfinance?

By definition, traditional microfinance offers the poorest people access to financial services to develop an income-generating activity and thus improve their living conditions. However, there have been abuses in this area, with some operators seeking profitability before social performance. To avoid these abuses, Entrepreneurs du Monde has designed and deployed microfinance with a social aspect.

Microfinance and Entrepreneurs du Monde’s social approach

Entrepreneurs du Monde has been able to reconcile the socio-economic progress of micro-entrepreneurs with the viability of its programmes by developing its own social microfinance methodology, based on ambitious action plans:

• To be accessible to the poorest, to people excluded from traditional microfinance. Entrepreneurs du Monde operates in disadvantaged neighbourhoods or remote areas lacking services and infrastructure. In order to reach vulnerable entrepreneurs, who are excluded by other microfinance actors, it provides them with loans without collateral or guarantees. Entrepreneurs du Monde also works primarily with local associations that support people with disabilities or who are living with HIV.
• Adapting loan and repayment schedules to the needs of each entrepreneur, the seasonality of their activity and their ability to repay. Entrepreneurs du Monde offers full support to its They develop within a group of about 25 people who are self-sufficient and meet once or twice a month, for training sessions on the management of their activity as well as on nutrition or the prevention of malaria, cholera or domestic violence, women’s rights, child protection, etc. Where applicable, families in serious difficulty receive specific support from the programme’s social worker.
• Improving its social performance: Entrepreneurs du Monde establishes a clear Mission/Vision/Values/Ethical Principles framework with each local team, and a questionnaire to assess the level of poverty of the entrepreneurs when they enter the programme and the changes in their living conditions that occur during the period of Finally, using the SPI 4 methodology (Cerise), satisfaction surveys and social audits are regularly carried out to align the practices of the microfinance institute with international standards.

GET INVOLVED WITH ENTREPRENEURS DU MONDE

I SUBSCRIBE TO THE ENTREPRENEURS DU MONDE NEWSLETTER

Entrepreneurs of the World’s approach is to

• encourage local structures;
• develop the autonomy of the programmes created;
• enable thousands of families to achieve financial autonomy and a better daily existence, over the long term.

DONATE NOW