For an overview over global support to the microfinance sector in Latin America please consult the CCAP Microfinance Funder Survey 2009 for Latin America and the Caribbean.
To get an overview over SDC's activities in the financial sector, have a look at a short publication by SDC called Latin Brief: this issue of the series refers to SDC' s activities in Latin America with a special focus on credit and savings unions in rural areas. The publication is aimed at a wider Swiss public and development practitioners in general. It is available in German. ( Latin Briefs on different topics)
Regional
SDC has supported PROMIFIN (Programa de Fomento de Servicios Financieros para Poblaciones de bajos Ingresos) in Central America (Nicaragua, Honduras and Salvador). For more information on the project, please visit the website or download the fact sheet.
Bolivia
In the framework of the United Nations' Year of Microfinance 2005, SDC and Swiss Universities elaborated together several case studies on SDC's financial sector development projects:
D'organisation informelle de micro crédit à banque: vaut-il la peine de se transformer? February 2007
Author: Jacob, Jessica
In 2006, a student of the University of Geneva carried out this case study on a microfinance NGO that transformed into a formalised MFI and subsequently into a bank. The case study outlines the rationale for an NGO or MFI to transform.
Transfert d'argent des migrants : un service intéressant pour une institution de microfinance? March 2007
Author: Albert Vázquez
In 2006, a student of the University of Geneva carried out a case study on how FIE SA, an MFI in Bolivia, introduced money transfer services for Bolivians working in Argentina. The case study portrays the MFI, SDC's support to FIE SA through the programme PROFIN, the money transfer market in Bolivia, as well as the main challenges for FIE SA.
Ecuador
In Ecuador, SDC has supported the project COOPFIN-CREAR, implemented by Swisscontact. For more information, please visit the Swisscontact project site or download the factsheet.
In the framework of the United Nations' Year of Microfinance 2005, SDC and Swiss Universities elaborated together several case studies on SDC's financial sector development projects:
Des crédits pour les petits producteurs agricoles January 2007
Author: Sébastien Pittet
A student of the University of Fribourg carried out a case study of the Savings and Credit Co-operative San José. The case study focuses on credit risks linked to agricultural lending and identifies mechanisms to mitigate these risks.
Recently there has been a new case study:
Results for Inspiration: A highly successful Microfinance Project improves the Livelihoods of the PoorMay 2010
Author: Alfred Geiger in collaboration with Marianne Sulzer (Swisscontact)
This case study summarizes the outcome of the ten years experience of the project COOPFIN/CREAR. Concluded in December 2009, it achieved important results by substantially contributing to the development of Savings and Credit Cooperatives in Ecuador.
Nicaragua
In the framework of the United Nations' Year of Microfinance 2005, SDC and Swiss Universities elaborated together several case studies on SDC's financial sector development projects:
Agricultural Credit Scoring System - an example from the FDL in NicaraguaDecember 2006
Author: María José Ramírez and Eli Weiss
In 2005, two students from the University of Lausanne analyzed the possibility of introducing a statistical credit scoring system in the Fondo de Desarrollo Local (FDL), the most important credit provider for small producers and entrepreneurs in the agriculture and livestock sectors in Nicaragua. The resulting case study describes the conveniences and challenges of introducing a credit scoring system in a rural microfinance institution.
