Desjardins Inter­national Develop­ment (DID) projects

Foster the development of female entrepreneurship by giving women entrepreneurs access to entrepreneurial support services, in order to strengthen their managerial, financial and digital capacities (demand), and increase their access to financial and digital services adapted to their needs (supply). More specifically, the project would mitigate the gender inequalities experienced by women entrepreneurs in urban and peripheral areas in the La Paz region (including El Alto) and the Cochabamba region.

The project will directly benefit 1,500 women-led MSMEs and contribute to creating, preserving and improving 7,500 jobs that depend on them. It would also benefit the families of these companies' employees and women leaders.

• Strengthening the managerial, financial and digital performance of women entrepreneurs. To contribute to this impact, the project is expected to bring about the following changes: 
  • Increased ability of women to develop their businesses
  • Increased ability of women to make informed financial decisions
  • Increased awareness of gender issues among women entrepreneurs and their families

• Increased access for women entrepreneurs to financial and digital products and services tailored to their needs. To achieve this, it's expected that the project will lead to the following changes:
  • Increased ability of IFPs to offer products and services that are adapted and sensitive to gender and environmental issues
  • Increased capacity of IFPs to integrate a digital services (DS) offering for women entrepreneurs

• 13,304 women and young people have been educated on financial literacy.
• 9 financial institutions are better prepared to meet the needs of rural women and young people.
• 13 public and private funding partners have joined.

Crezcamos is a Colombian microfinance institution that was established in 2008. It provides financial services for micro, small and medium-sized enterprise (MSME) owners and their families, mainly in rural areas. It offers savings and credit solutions for the farming, commerce, services, production and housing sectors, as well as solutions to help clients plan for the future, including insurance products. It has about 1,700 employees and more than 97,500 clients.

Fundación para el desarollo integral ESPOIR is a foundation based in Quito, Ecuador. Our investment helps them achieve their mission of contributing to the country's economic and social development and improving the health of women micro-entrepreneurs. ESPOIR provides credit products and health and financial literacy services to nearly 550,000 clients, 68% of whom are women.

COAC 4 de Octubre is a savings and credit cooperative that offers financial services to its members in Ecuador. It offers savings, credit, and fixed-term products, as well as ATM, debit card and mobile services.

Faces Microfinanzas is a foundation that offers microloans and technical assistance to vulnerable sectors of the population in Ecuador. Its mission is to contribute to the social and economic development of people who are productive and who wish to strengthen their micro-enterprises.

Founded in late 1997 by a group of women, Maquita now has more than 11,000 active members and 6,000 borrowers. The institution operates branches in 2 provinces of Ecuador, achieving post-pandemic stability and returning to the path of growth, with indicators and portfolio quality on the rise. With an average outstanding loan of $7,381, Maquita primarily targets micro and small businesses.

Set up with the support of several development partners, ENLACE officially began operations in 2002. Today, this institution

• has 16 branches across the country, with a strong presence in rural areas
• reaches over 55,000 entrepreneurial clients, 80% of whom are women
• has an average outstanding loan of USD 679, primarily targeting the bottom of the pyramid of micro and small businesses
• is deeply committed to socio-economic development and improving the quality of life of El Salvador's vulnerable populations.

The Association for the Integral Development of Guatemala (ADIGUA) is a non-profit NGO founded in 2003. It mainly targets the lower end of the micro and small enterprise sector. With a network of 7 branches in 5 central provinces, the institution serves 4,168 clients, more than 48% of whom are women.

Firmly rooted in rural areas where indigenous populations are concentrated, ADISA targets entrepreneurs and farmers at the base of the pyramid. The institution reaches 9,790 customers, 77.5% of whom are women, through a network of 8 branches in 9 regions in the north-central part of the country. Equipped with an environmental policy and strongly committed to improving access to education, the institution directs 76% of its loans to women. 

• Increase the market value of cacao, yams and other related crops
• Adopt innovative agricultural practices for greater resiliency in the face of climate change
• Increase issuance of loans tailored to farmers
• Improve living conditions overall for the department of Grand'Anse's rural populations

• 3,500 cacao and yam producers have benefitted directly from the project.
• 17,500 people have benefitted indirectly.
• 5 participating financial institutions and 63 Village Savings and Loan Associations were created. 

• Increased use of government and private-sector programs and funds for the development and financing of MSMEs, an essential component of Haiti's entrepreneurial fabric
• A structured program of support for entrepreneurs to help them cope with shocks and strengthen their businesses in order to maintain jobs and stay in the market more sustainably
• The creation of a research chair in entrepreneurial innovation and an acceleration program to encourage Haiti's entrepreneurs to innovate and develop their businesses

Founded in 1996, Pro Mujer Nicaragua provides its 42,500 clients with jointly guaranteed group loans and non-financial services to promote women's health, education and empowerment. It has a network of 8 branches across the country and a portfolio of nearly $25 million.

Financiera Fundeser is an inclusive financial institution based in Managua, Nicaragua. Its offer of financial solutions contributes to increasing the income level of micro and small entrepreneurs, especially those living in rural areas and who are the pillars of Nicaraguan economic development. Fundeser's 21 branches cover the whole of Nicaragua. They reach a customer base of 15,673 people, 53% of whom are women, and their portfolio is mainly deployed in rural areas.

MiCrédito reaches 12,013 entrepreneurs, 60% of whom are women. Strongly committed to women's empowerment, health, education and the environment, this institution has seen the proportion of its rural clientele rise from 23.5% to 40.8% over the past 4 years.

In November 2024, MiCrédito won a 60 Decibels “Social Impact Awards”: it ranked among the top 3 of 34 Latin American financial institutions listed in the Microfinance Index 2024, which is based on interviews with over 36,000 customers of microfinance institutions.

Centro Financiero Empresarial is a microfinance institution dedicated to financing micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in and around urban centres in Panama. We established the centre in 2009 and handed over the operations to a local team in 2018. The centre serves nearly 4,500 businesses and has about 190 employees, more than 53% of whom are women.