The Problem
Kenya is home to about 10 Million unregistered women owned micro-enterprises. The annual credit gap for these micro-enterprises is greater than $1.5 Billion.
Lack of credit history, financial illiteracy and minimal asset ownership limits women and adolescent girls access to credit, inhibiting their socio-economic mobility.
Our Model
We leverage mobile based technology to provide credit and distribute personalized financial literacy content to women and adolescent girls who own micro-enterprises.
Our customers are members of locally registered groups of between 10-25 members based on their business type (mostly common business type in close proximity). These are formal groups that meet often and are run by elected officials. The loan products are issued to individuals but membership and continued participation in the registered groups is a prerequisite. The inherent peer-to-peer pressure amongst members’ drive loan repayment and is key to building a robust business ecosystem in underserved markets. Adolescent girls and younger women access adequate mentorship as members share their business experiences during meetings.
Target customers
Who? Women and Adolescent girls
Location? Underserved Markets
Business Size? Micro-enterprises
Age? 17 – 45 Years
Monthly Income? $50 - $500
Education? Basic Level/Secondary School
Why? Untapped Growth Potential