MFI Report

"Vision Finance Co. SA (VFC) was started in 1997 as a Microfinance Department under World Vision Rwanda and later registered as a separate program called Amizero (Hope) Microfinance in 1999. It was then incorporated as a limited Liability company (Societe Anonyme) in October 2003 and licensed as a regulated Microfinance Institution by the Central Bank in September 2004. VFC is a wholly-owned microfinance subsidiary of World Vision International represented by its program in Rwanda, World Vision Rwanda. World Vision is a Christian humanitarian organization dedicated to working with children, families and their communities worldwide to reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty and injustice. World Vision strives to impact poor communities through its remarkable model of utilizing the five arms of development, namely Health, Education, Food, Water and Economic Enterprise. VFC hence fulfills the fifth arm of developing sustainable economic enterprises in Rwanda through targeted and meaningful penetration of Rwandan communities using the most effective and proven methodologies to lift communities out of poverty. VFC currently serves over 22,000 credit and savings clients in eight branches and 20 Site Offices (a total of 28 locations) in all of the administrative provinces of Rwanda, with a loan portfolio of about RwF 1.8bn as of end of 2009. VFC intends to reach over 40,000 savings and credit clients by 31 December 2012 with a loan portfolio of over RwF 5bn, through its three key lending methodologies of Community Banks, Solidarity Groups and Individual Loans. About 70% of all VFC clients are women. VFC’s typical client is usually a mother aged over 45, often widowed, looking after an average family size of seven (some of them orphans) and owns a small business, usually a stall in the market, or a small shop/kiosk by the roadside. VFC targets women because we believe that empowering the women of Rwanda will ultimately lift the nation out of poverty. " Cacher