Contribute to the creation of a microcredit fund in Ivory Coast !
To participate, please visit the online donations section of our website.

This fund is destined for the poor in Ivory Coast, hit hard by years of civil war. It is part of a series of initiatives to strengthen the informal sector, led by Frères des Hommes in partnership with the Ivorian Association Fedesi.

Accompanying those communities who are weakened by the war
After years of civil war, the unemployment rate is estimated between 40-50%, and the financial situation for artisans and small businesses is alarming. Frères des Hommes and Fedes1 participate in the economic and social reconstruction of the country, supporting economic projects in weakened communities.

The revival of economic activities
Projects financed by micro-credits enable men and women to develop an economic activity in towns and villages: small shops, sewing and shoemaking workshops, building and mechanical trades… In this way, they provide a stable source of income for their families, and a future for their children in Ivory Coast.

Strict management
With this system of micro-credits, even the poorest communities, excluded from the banking system, can launch their own business. Requests for credit are reviewed by a panel of experts, based on financial and social criteria. Once the credit is granted, Fedesi follows borrowers throughout the implementation of their project, ensuring that repayments are made, and that the operation is running smoothly.

A virtuous circle of development
The fund of 90,000€ is divided into units of 150€, ie the average loan granted to a family to create a profitable business. Credits are awarded for a period of 3 to 6 months, and the first refunds are rapidly reinvested to lend to new families, creating a real virtuous circle. Each year, nearly 2,000 people develop a sustainable activity to help support their families.

Adjoua, 37, received a microcredit in 2008 “With this loan, I buy rice and sugar, and I resell them on retail markets. The business is pretty good and I have no difficulties reimbursing. Since I started working, life has improved at home: we eat better, and my children now go to school.”