Who we are

Our People

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Our Grameen Heritage

Values

Awards and Recognition

Partnerships
• Our global MFI network
• Technology partnerships
◦ Village Phone Uganda
    ◦ Village Phone Rwanda
• The ONE Campaign

Contact information

Grameen Foundation : Who we are : Partnerships : Technology partnerships : Village Phone Rwanda

Village Phone Rwanda Partners

Recognizing the success of the MTN relationship in Village Phone Uganda, we have replicated this partnership with MTN RwandaCell in our Village Phone Rwanda project. Also following the model of Village Phone Uganda, we have employed the help and services of three local MFIs in Rwanda.

UCT (Union des Caisses de Solidarite, d’Epargne et de Credit des Travailleurs)

UCT is a savings and loans cooperative that was created in December of 1993 to enable workers to create small savings and have access to small loans, which they were unable to get through the traditional banking institutions.  The target market for UCT consists of workers (civil servants, teachers mainly). UCT currently has 20 branches with 4 of them in Kigali and 16 up-country. Each branch is autonomous in the way it manages its portfolio. UCT currently gives out solidarity and individual loans.  UCT currently serves 100,000 members.

MTN RwandaCell

Founded in 1998, MTN RwandaCell has become the leading telecommunications company in the nation. Currently the provider covers over 90% of the population, and continues to penetrate deeper into rural communities by offering affordable and reliable wireless service.

Urwego

Urwego began its operations in July 1997 as World Relief’s microfinance program in Rwanda and has grown to be one of the predominant MFIs in the region of East Africa. In 2004, Urwego took the first place prize for the best microfinance institution in Rwanda in the national microfinance competitions to mark the UN Year of Microcredit. Urwego currently serves clients in 11 of Rwanda’s 12 prefectures (86% of whom are women) representing over 21,000 families, with the institution continuing to grow rapidly. The word “urwego” means “ladder for success” in Kinyarwandan.

The Vision Finance Company

The Vision Finance Company is an initiative of World Vision, an international relief agency, to promote microfinance in Rwanda. Its goal is to provide services encouraging holistic transformation in the lives of the economically productive poor Rwandese through the development of sustainable microenterprises. Currently, the Vision Finace Company serves more than 23,000 clients in Rwanda. Since its establishment in 1950, World Vision has helped communities throughout the world help themselves through emergency relief, education, health care, economic development, and the promotion of justice.

CARE Rwanda

Founded in 1945, CARE is one of the world’s largest private international humanitarian organizations, committed to helping families in poor communities improve their lives and achieve lasting victories over poverty. CARE has implemented development projects in Rwanda for over 20 years. One of CARE Rwanda’s recent initiatives is a microfinance program to expand economic opportunity for rural women. CARE helps to provide skills and training, as well to assist Rwandans with small business ventures. CARE also works with existing financial institutions and creates new organizations to provide loans for low income entrepreneurs.

Duterimbere

The organization began partnering with Grameen Foundation in early 2007 and gives individuals and women’s groups small loans to use as working capital. In the Kinyarwanda language Duterimbere means ‘Advancing Forward -- Women who work together for a better future’.

Click here to learn more about Village Phone Rwanda >

Grameen Foundation : Who we are : Partnerships : Technology partnerships : Village Phone Rwanda