Project objectives
To promote innovative financial products sustaining the sector
Project Managers
Partners
REDCAMIF and the members of the national networks
Accelerating financial inclusion in Central America and Dominican Republic
ADA supports the expansion of inclusive finance products and services in Central America and the Dominican Republic through a technical and financial support programme to the REDCAMIF regional network.
In Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, and the Dominican Republic, over 40% of the population lives below the poverty line. Despite the networking of microfinance institutions (MFIs), only 22% of the 5.5 million micro-entrepreneurs in the region have access to financing to grow their businesses. The penetration rate remains low in urban-peripheral and rural areas.
In these countries, MFIs rely on national networks for the extension of their services. The networks play a key role in developing inclusive finance and in bringing about a more favourable political environment.
The national networks themselves are grouped around REDCAMIF, a regional microfinance network which today represents seven national networks: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, and the Dominican Republic. Together, these seven networks gather 137 MFIs and serve more than a million and a half clients.
The REDCAMIF network has received technical and financial support from ADA since 2011. The projects we developed with REDCAMIF are then expanded to the seven national networks, which in turn, expand them to their member MFIs.
REDCAMIF: multiplied impact
Objectives of the project REDCAMIF: Promoting innovative financial products to sustain the sector
The joint project ADA-REDCAMIF for the expansion of inclusive finance rests upon three fundamental pillars:
- The development of innovative inclusive finance services and products: based on a thorough diagnosis and on the application of new technologies, the products offered better meet customer requirements. The product offering has expanded to include savings accounts, leasing and insurance. The granting of loans has also been extended to provide access to green energies. In addition, the deployment of "mobile banking" enables clients to conduct financial transactions by using a simple mobile phone.
- The sustainability of national networks: a support fund for innovative initiatives assists national networks in their development of strategic projects, which enables them to achieve financial viability. Projects include instilling and developing an entrepreneurial culture, together with the appropriate strategies within the networks. Financial reporting tools have now been put in place with REDCAMIF and the seven national networks.
- Professionalising the sector: this approach is reflected in MFI capacity building, for example with regard to risk management, governance, transparency and social performance.
Training sessions in risk management have been organised, in particular in Costa Rica, Honduras and Nicaragua. Technical assistance has been provided to six MFIs, allowing them to integrate social performance management systems into their strategies.
Based on a participatory approach, and making use of information technology, the project also aims to improve exchanges between the different actors and members of the REDCAMIF network.
A strategic alliance serving 1.2 million micro-entrepreneurs
By providing technical and financial assistance to REDCAMIF, ADA enhances the seven national networks’ relevance and impact, as well as that of the 133 MFIs accounting for 40% of the portfolio invested in rural areas, thus positively affecting 1.2 million micro-entrepreneurs, 59% of which are women.
February 2018
REDCAMIF launches a partnership with the magazine 'Microempresas & Finanzas'
Iván Gutiérrez Aguirre, Executive Director of REDCAMIF
"The Microfinance Network of Central America and the Caribbean (REDCAMIF), a representative body of microfinance institutions in the region, had long been interested in creating and sharing a way to disseminate information on a large scale, in a entertaining, attractive and up-to-date way, to communicate periodically about the relevant facts of MFIs, their impact on the region-wide economy, and the support provided to Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, a key sector for the economies of our countries.
Following this reflection, REDCAMIF has partnered with the magazine Micro Empresas & Finanzas, whose special edition dedicated to microfinance presents the perspectives, achievements, objectives, statistics and success stories of 14 MFIs belonging to REDCAMIF's national networks.
This special edition is available online on https://issuu.com/redcamif/docs/micro_redcamif. It will also be distributed in 3,000 copies in the 7 countries of the region in February.
We thank the affiliated MFIs and ADA for their support in publishing this first edition."
At the top: Gilles Franck (Vice-President of ADA) ; Fernando Guzman (member of the Board of REDCAMIF) ; Iván Gutiérrez (Exécutive Director of REDCAMIF).
At the bottom: Olivier Massart (Executive Director of ADA) ; Carlos Rojas (President of REDCAMIF)
December 2017
Implementation of the REDCAMIF II project from 2018
The REDCAMIF II project, signed in December 2017 between the Central American and Caribbean Microfinance Network (REDCAMIF) and ADA, is an extension of the REDCAMIF - ADA alliance created in 2008 and strengthened since then by the implementation of a multi-year project between 2012 and 2017.
Following an evaluation diagnosis, this new project will focus on identifying the needs of MFI clients, such as building their capacity and improving their access to responsible financial and non-financial services. The goal is also to create an impact in the microfinance sector in general, while involving other stakeholders to strengthen the skills of the regional network and national networks and effectively respond to the demands of their members.
The total amount of the project is € 4.3 million, 50% co-financed by both parties (ADA and REDCAMIF), over the period 2018-2021. ADA and REDCAMIF hope to provide 93 technical assistance training to MFIs in the region over these next four years.
This new project will focus on the following themes: social role, technology, development of high value added financial services, risk management and knowledge management at regional and national level.
May 2017
Systematization workshop of the pilots of Rural Finance and Housing
The objective of this workshop, which took place from 24 to 28 April 2017 in Panama, is to systematize the experience gained during the implementation of the Rural Finance and Housing pilots. This event is part of the knowledge management strategy of the partnership between ADA and REDCAMIF.
Many inclusive finance’s actors were involved: 25 microfinance institutions that were part of rural finance and housing pilots, 7 MFIs from the second pilot phase in 2017, the 7 directors of REDCAMIF national networks, as well as the 7 National Coordinators of Inclusive Financial Services, SICSA, REDCAMIF and ADA.
José Luis González Renderos, Former President of REDCAMIF
"The framework agreement signed with ADA allows REDCAMIF to develop innovative solutions and disseminate these new products through the networks of each country. In this context, ADA is a key strategic partner to efficiently develop the network."
Jose Luis Gonzalez Renderos, Former President of REDCAMIF
For further information:
- REDCAMIF - www.redcamif.org