Where We Work: Latin America
Bolivia
Volunteer Hours Contributed: 145
Skill: Finance
Date Completed: September 2013
Oxfam’s Enterprise Development Programme (EDP) identifies business opportunities and helps entrepreneurs develop and implement viable business plans, but requires additional support and business in order to visit the candidate organization to conduct a full evaluation of the organization. A Bankers without Borders volunteer traveled to Bolivia to assess the business strategy and financial viability of APARAP, a producer organization in the Beni Department. Her assessment will help ensure EDP supports sustainable business that help peple work their way out of poverty.
Brazil
Volunteer Hours Contributed:
Skill:
Date Completed:
Colombia
Volunteer Hours Contributed: 400
Skill: Technology
Date Completed: December 2012
Two volunteers from Dow Agro-Sciences used their expertise to enhance Grameen Foundation’s ability to provide agricultural information that can increase the productivity and incomes of subsistence farmers in Colombia, by helping to develop a database of actionable information accessible by mobile phone.
Stories: Colombia
Farming under most circumstances is difficult. Drought, disease, pests and price volatility all force farmers to make decisions that can determine success or failure. Too often, subsistence farmers in Colombia make those decisions without the benefit of basic information necessary to choose wisely.
Today those farmers have new hope because of a project supported by the Dow... Read More
Ecuador
Volunteer Hours Contributed: 60
Skill: Research and M&E
Date Completed: August 2012
A Bankers without Borders volunteer traveled to Ecuador to conduct an assessment to certify FACES as an approved user of the Progress out of Poverty Index (PPI). The Progress out of Poverty Index (PPI) is a simple and accurate tool that measures poverty levels of groups and individuals. Using the PPI, microfinance institutions can identify poverty levels of clients to better determine their needs, which programs are most effective in serving their needs, and how quickly clients leave poverty. Organizations around the world are using the PPI to measure their clients’ poverty levels and track changes of their poverty levels over time.
PPI certification is recognized by industry bodies and investors alike, and will help FACES enhance their social performance transparency, improve relationships with external stakeholders, gain recognition within the microfinance industry, and may lead to receiving favorable terms from socially focused investors.
El Salvador
Volunteer Hours Contributed:
Skill:
Date Completed:
Guatemala
Volunteer Hours Contributed: In Progress
Skill: Finance
Date Completed: In Progress
An organization that focuses on vulnerable women, Friendship Bridge (FB), is in the process of drafting a plan to develop new funding sources and an expansion of its product offering to clients. A Bankers without Borders volunteer traveled to Guatemala to help identify potential funding sources and assess FB’s ability to successfully engage them. In addition, the volunteer is also helping to develop a pricing model for several new products being developed by FB.
Haiti
Volunteer Hours Contributed: 100
Skill: Technology
Date Completed: October 2009
To support use of the Progress out of Poverty Index, a Bankers without Borders volunteer developed internal and field tests for PPI tools, and then customized the tools to meet the specific needs of Fonkoze, a microfinance institution in Haiti.
Honduras
Volunteer Hours Contributed: 70
Skill: Finance
Date Completed: In Progress
Oxfam Britain’s Enterprise Development Programme (EDP) identifies business opportunities and helps entrepreneurs develop and implement viable business plans, but requires additional support and business in order to visit the candidate organization to conduct a full evaluation of the organization. A Bankers without Borders volunteer traveled to Honduras to assess the business strategy and financial viability of CAEOL, a producer organization in the Copán Region. The final assessment will help ensure EDP supports sustainable business that help people work their way out of poverty.
Mexico
Volunteer Hours Contributed:
Skill:
Date Completed:
Nicuragua
Volunteer Hours Contributed: 120
Skill: Other
Date Completed: September 2013
Fundeser, a micro-finance institution in Nicaragua with high social impact in rural areas is in the process of becoming a financial institution supervised by the Superintendence of Banks and Other Financial, giving Fundeser the opportunity to broaden its range of products and services, as well as to increase the market segments it serves. A Bankers without Borders volunteer helped develop and implement a marketing plan t commercialize Funesers expanded products and services and support efficient and sustainable growth.
Peru
Volunteer Hours Contributed: 60
Skill: Finance
Date Completed: February 2013
CrediMujer (CM) facilitate access to financial services (mainly credit) to poor entrepreneur women in rural zones through education and promotion of savings, but needed to establish a risk management framework to ensure their resources were being used efficiently. J.P. Morgan volunteers helped develop an internal metric evaluation for current and prospective clients and a database of 19,000 entries with associated ratings for each prospective client. These contributions allow senior management to address the inherent risks of their business and cultivate an internal culture that rewards sound risk management.