DID - Développement international Desjardins

Published purpose

This project aims to extend credit to rural women and youth in the departments of Antioquia, Cauca, Cundinamarca and Eje Cafetero of Colombia. Rural women and youth’s ability to carry out successful projects is significantly affected by their limited access to credit. This project works to provide financial institutions with evidence-based information to view these underserved populations as a long-term profitable market. Through technical assistance, including another $5 million leveraged from the private sector, the project aims to increase impact and reduce risks on both the supply and demand of Colombia’s credit system. Project activities include: (1) providing capacity building for financial institutions to expand their loan offer to women and youth specifically, leading to 32,000 new loans (14,500 for women over 28 years, 17,500 for young women and men); (2) providing capacity building for education institutions to tailor and deliver financial education programs for 10,000 rural women and young women and men; and (3) establishing a $2,000,000 guarantee fund pilot for use of up to three financial institutions, to further leverage the number of loans provided to women and youth.