Field Partners
Deki allows individuals like you to lend to specific entrepreneurs in the developing world. We do this by choosing microfinance institutions to become our field partners.
Learn more about how we choose our field partners and the risks associated with lending on our Risk and Due Diligence page.
If you are interested in becoming a field partner, please contact us .
CODA - Togo
CODA is based in Lomè, Togo, which borders on Ghana in West Africa. Togo is a tropical, Saharan country, highly dependent on agriculture and with a population of around 6.7 million. Healthcare and levels of education in the region are particularly poor.
CODA's mission is to help small businesses and communities promote their own economic, social and cultural development in a sustainable way. They combat poverty through educating members, promoting income-generating activities and distributing micro loans. The management team also works on essential services in the community including an orphanage, a school and a health centre.
Interest rates:
CODA charge 2% interest per month. For example, on a loan of £100 that is paid back over 6 months the borrower will pay back will pay £2 interest the first month, £1.66 the second month etc. If paid back in 6 months the total interest will be £7.
CEDIS - Ghana
CEDIS mission is to enhance the development of micro and small scale entrepreneurs in Northern Ghana by providing credit and facilitating savings to support social change, poverty reduction and the creation of a more equitable society.
Ghana is a peaceful and democratic country but is still among the poorest in the world. Poverty is widespread, particularly in Northern Ghana where rural populations have limited access to basic services such as safe drinking water, sanitation, health services, education, passable roads, electricity and telephone services.
The loans CEDIS provides allow the entrepreneurs to build a bridge out of poverty on their own terms. As entrepreneurs they are afforded a dignity and independence that the 'clients' or 'beneficiaries' of aid projects do not have.
CEDIS was founded by British entrepreneur Chris Skilton and Ghanaian entrepreneur Sumani Osman in response to lack of microfinance provisions in Northern Ghana. CEDIS is incorporated as an NGO and any profits are reinvested into the organisation to improve quality of service or lower interest rates.
Interest rates:
CEDIS charge 2% interest per month. For example, on a loan of £100 that is paid back over 6 months the borrower will pay back will pay £2 interest the first month, £1.66 the second month etc. If paid back in 6 months the total interest will be £7.
Hatemalo Mahila Multipurpose Cooperative Society - Nepal
Hatemalo's mission is to empower their women-only members through education, financial management and financial services. They strive towards socio-economic uplifting, nondiscriminatory action and equality amongst their members, especially concentrating on minority groups.
Hatemalo is a cooperative, which was established in 2000 by 25 women. It now has over 800 members.
In the beginning the institution only worked with ethnic minority Gurung women. However, they have changed their policy to include women of all castes.
Hatemalo works primarily with women who live in the slum areas of central Kathmandu, which are located on the banks of the sacred, yet highly polluted Bagmati river.
Nepal is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is bordered to the north by the Peoples Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India. Nepal is a country of highly diverse and rich geography, culture, and religions. The mountainous north contains eight of the world's ten highest mountains, including the highest, Mount Everest.
The country receives foreign aid from India, Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States, the European Union, China, Switzerland, and Scandinavian countries.
Although per capita income has risen in the last few years, reaching $568 in 2009-10, poverty is acute.
Interest rates:
Hatemalo charge 12% fixed interest, not dependent on loan term. For example, if a borrower takes a £100 loan they will pay back £112, spread equally over their installments.
Mahila Prayash SACCO - Nepal
Mahila Prayash Savings and Credit Cooperative Society is a women-only cooperative empowering local communities through access to finance, financial services and education. Their mission is to assist micro and small entrepreneurs and specifically to provide cost-effective microfinance services to the excluded and the poor. The cooperative was established in 1997 and they are located in the Kathmandu Valley, serving semi-urban and rural populations.
Goals:
· To reduce poverty through financial services
· To enhance the quality of life of the deprived, marginalized, disadvantaged people
· To operate and manage the institution in an operationally and financially sustainable manner
Mahila Prayash operates a savings-led lending policy, which means that a certain amount of savings needs to be made by the borrower to show commitment before the loan is granted. The cooperative offers a full scale of financial services and business training. Mahila Prayash became a Deki field partner in February 2012.
Interest rates:
Mahila Prayash charge 17% interest rate per annum. For example, on a loan of £100 for 6 months the borrower will pay back in monthly instalments with diminishing interest payments every month. Total to repay in this case will be £105.
Temwa - Malawi
Temwa's objective is to help build a sustainable future for the people of Malawi through community-based projects in health education, sustainable agriculture and forestry, schools support and skills training.
Temwa was established in the UK and has a small office in Bristol. It employs 23 full time staff in Malawi, Nkhata Bay North.
Temwa is based in an area called Usisya, on the north shore of Lake Malawi. This remote area has no electricity, no running water and is severely affected by the AIDS epidemic. Public services and other relief efforts are very limited in this area.
Temwa creates partnerships and programs to equip the local population with the skills and resources to ensure ongoing health, education, and financial stability for families and the wider community.
In terms of microfinance, Temwa focuses on the most vulnerable groups: people with HIV or AIDS, people caring for those with HIV or AIDS, people caring for orphans, and female-headed households.
Interest rates:
Uniquely, Temwa loans are commission and interest free as we have secured funding for a loan officer to work in this remote rural area.