This project will support the creation of a microfinance fund for internally displaced women coming out of poverty. Internally displaced persons do not They were living in extreme poverty but after 6 months working with us have improved their situation. They now need a heavier investment: Low-interest loans to complement the work they have done so far and make sure they are out of poverty forever. Right now, it's not possible for them to save or borrow with traditional microfinance institutions.
The Anglophone crisis started in Cameroon in early February, and has engulfed the totality of the South-West and North-West Region and could become a civil war. People are constantly displacing from one area to the other, they have lost property, and even their loved ones. In this climate of uncertainty, nobody wants to give out loans. Moreover, even in periods of stability, traditional institutions won't give loans to Displaced Persons, since they are poor, don't hold property and are mobile.
In 2018 we created a small microfinance fund to help women grow out of poverty. As the crisis kept unfolding, we turned out to be the only people giving out credit to displaced women in the Region. So far, we have not had significant defaulting, and our clients have been able to survive to extreme shocks coming from the crisis (loss of property, relocation, health problems) thanks to the loan. However, we are overwhelmed by demand and need as much capital as we can get.
If the funds requested are raised, this fund will give out more than 30-15 loans in one year (changing size), and another set every year after that. This is an idea worth investing, the impact will multiply and generate income for hundreds of women and their families throughout the years. This year we gave out more than 50 loans. With your help, we can double that number.
