It is the largest microfinance institution (MFI) in Haiti, serving more than 55,000 women borrowers, most of whom live and work in the countryside of Haiti, and more than 175,000 savers. With its network of 37 branches covering every region of Haiti, it is also the only MFI that is truly national in scope. Fonkoze is one of the few MFIs in Haiti that is truly grass-roots. Fonkoze was founded in 1994 by a Haitian Catholic priest who started the institution with little more than the vision to provide the means for all Haitians, even the poorest, to participate in the economic development of the country. His target group was women, because as he declared, “Women are the backbone of the Haitian economy and the doorway into the family unit." Fonkoze attacks illiteracy in Haiti through its pioneering educational program that combines basic literacy training with practical education in subjects such as business development, sexual and reproductive health, and effective use of financial services.
Mission Statement
Building the economic foundations for democracy in Haiti by providing the rural poor with the tools they need to lift themselves out of poverty.
Project Sectors
Credit
Solidarity
Priority to women
Literacy training
Precision made in Switzerland