Grameen Foundation is pleased to announce the launch of the five-year Farmer-to-Farmer Program for Financial Services in Kenya.
Implemented by the International Executive Service Corps (IESC) in collaboration with Grameen Foundation, it helps individual farmers, as well as micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises access financial services through delivering volunteer technical assistance. The program will match 80 pro bono experts from the U.S. with local partners to unlock finance--particularly for women farmers and youth--who are entering farming as a profession.
Smallholder farmers across Kenya receive less than one percent of agricultural funding, yet produce 63 percent of the country’s food. Unlocking capital for agribusinesses has the potential to spur broad economic growth, raise incomes and create jobs. Through volunteer support from the American people, the Farmer to Farmer Program for Financial Services is increasing agricultural lending that benefits both “bank” and borrower.
To help make Kenya’s smallholder farmers bankable, the program will capitalize on Grameen Foundation’s experience in developing digital solutions for farmers in Africa, Asia, and Latin American. It will also draw on the extensive experience of Grameen Foundation’s Bankers without Borders® (BwB) program, whose volunteer network has engaged more than 20,000 private sector volunteers from 170 countries to support poverty-focused social enterprises. BwB will identify and match Farmer-to-Farmer’s 80 pro-bono experts.
The volunteers will train farmers in business planning, financial management and financial literacy, and establish alternative credit scoring methods to ensure eligible farmers gain access to loans. Volunteers will mentor youth and women with entrepreneurship training, and link farmers and agribusinesses to lenders.
The Farmer-to-Farmer Program is funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The American people, through the U.S. Agency for International Development, have provided economic and humanitarian assistance worldwide for more than 50 years.
About Grameen Foundation
Grameen Foundation is a global nonprofit whose mission is to enable the poor, especially women, to end poverty and hunger. It uses digital technology and local partner networks to create solutions that span financial, agricultural and health services, and that bring people the tools and opportunities they need to help themselves. Follow us on twitter: @GrameenFdn.
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This announcement is made possible by the support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) under the Farmer-to-Farmer Program. The contents are the sole responsibility of Grameen Foundation and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID, the Farmer-to-Farmer Program, or the United States Government.