1www.FINCA.org

In February of this year, a massive fire swept through three markets in Tegu-cigalpa, Honduras, where many of our clients run their businesses from market stalls. While, thankfully, no one was killed in the massive blaze, 114 of our clients’ busi-nesses were completely destroyed, along with their merchandise.

To say this was a devastating blow to people struggling on a daily basis to make a livelihood for their families is an under-statement. And, as if to add insult to injury, the damage done to the marketplace was so extensive that it would be months before vendors would be allowed back into the area.

But one thing FINCA clients know is that they can count on FINCA in times of distress. Within days, our loan officers were meeting with clients to assess the damage to their businesses, and our leadership was developing a plan to assure our clients that their loans would be extended under a six-month grace period. FINCA Honduras clients are covered by credit-life and hos-pitalization insurance, so if they incurred injuries during the fire which required hospitalization, they would receive a cash payment to offset hospitalization costs for as many days as they remained hospital-ized. In addition, if their injuries left them disabled, the insurance would cover repay-ment of their FINCA loan.

Not many months later, flooding in nine Ecuadoran provinces devastated more than 200 FINCA Ecuador client businesses. Fortunately, for clients like carpenter Cesar Alberto Vera and Brigida Francisca Pluas, who owns a small restaurant, rebuilding their businesses was made possible, thanks to FINCA’s “Mi Hogar Protegido” (My Home Protected) insurance product. Included

for a small fee with their FINCA loans, the insurance money helps replace lost equip-ment and inventory, and allows client to make repairs so all their hard work in build-ing their businesses is not lost.

Both Cesar and Brigida’s businesses were impacted as soon as the rains set in, how-ever once the flooding began, they both lost nearly everything. As the flooding subsided, their FINCA loan officers worked with them to receive the insurance that would get them back on the path to gen-erating an income to support their families.

Our staff in Ecuador expedited the pay-ment of insurance benefits and processed claims in just three days. They also collect-ed donations of food, clothing and money to assist clients and their families as they returned. This simple act of compassion meant the world to them and took one burden off their shoulders in the immedi-ate aftermath of the flooding.

For Cesar, getting his up and running was as simple as replacing tools so he could repair flood damage in his home and get back to work at his carpentry shop. Brigida, however, came back to a much bigger challenge. Her tiny restaurant in Ciudad Calceta was filled with mud for days, pots and pans were gone, and the animals she was raising did not survive. But with her FINCA insurance payment, she was able to replace most of her inventory, and is well on her way to a full recovery.

“For me, FINCA was a gift from God,” she said. “When the Insurance Advisor told us about the insurance, I was so happy and filled with courage to

continue working. Now I know that FINCA is my home.”

Support for programs like FINCA Honduras and Ecuador make it possible for us to be there for our clients, no matter the circumstance. Please consider making a contribution today so we can continue providing loans and life-assuring products and services, like insurance, to our clients worldwide.

When Disaster Strikes, FINCA Is There

Village Bank NotesFall 2012 • Volume 23 • Issue III

Above: FINCA Ecuador client Brigida Francisca Pluas has rebuilt her business, thanks to FINCA’s micro-insurance product; (below) Jana Kadian, FINCA Latin America Regional Operations Manager, travels by canoe to meet with clients.

Phot

os b

y FI

NCA

staff

2www.FINCA.org2 www.FINCA.org

Afghanistan CEO Speaks at 2012 Rotary International Convention FINCA Afghanistan CEO Zar Wardak was a featured speaker at the Rotary International Convention in Bangkok, Thailand, sharing her own experience and perspective on how small loans are enabling Afghan women entrepre-neurs to prosper and create sustainable livelihoods.

She spoke about FINCA’s extensive experience working in conflict-affected countries including El Salvador, the DR Congo, Kosovo and, of course, Afghani-stan, and commented that, while pockets of insecurity remain in Afghanistan, in provinces with good security in place, businesses are flourishing, and women and men are embracing their freedom.

Zar strongly believes that by giving poor individuals the tools to find their own solutions to poverty, as FINCA does by making access to financial services available to those most often denied such services, they develop hope for a better future and are empowered to take action to promote peace and secu-rity in their own community.

“As Afghans are empowered and equipped to create productive livelihoods for themselves, their families and their communities, they—not the Taliban or the Afghan government or foreign governments—will define the face of Afghanistan in the years to come.”

News From The Field

FINCA Uganda and Land o’ Lakes Partner to Ensure Loans Are Available to Small FarmersAccess to credit is often a barrier to small business development among the rural poor. In Uganda, agriculture accounts form a signifi-cant percentage of the economy, so ensuring that smallholder farmers have access to loans and that they qualify as viable borrowers is critical to the sustainable economic growth of the country.

Since 2010, FINCA and Land O’Lakes International Development have been partnering to imple-ment a USDA-funded Food for Progress program in Uganda. Land O’Lakes is strengthening sustain-able smallholder agricultural and agribusiness enterprises by helping build the capacity of producer groups, improving their productivity and increasing market access. These interventions help small farmers more easily qualify for FINCA’s agricultural loans, leading to increased returns for small borrowers and rural economies.

On the financial services side, FINCA’s staff

has developed customized lending products to ensure sustainable loan solutions that can help ensure steady enterprise cash flows. Joint efforts have been made to target vulnerable groups, including those living with HIV/AIDS or dealing with food insecurity.

Phot

o by

FIN

CA st

aff

Village Bank Notes This newsletter is a publication of FINCA International, Inc. ©2012. All rights reserved. This material shall not be copied, reproduced, reprinted, or placed on the Internet or other electronic or print media without express, written permission of FINCA International, Inc.

FINCA International is a non-profit, private voluntary or ganization exempt from income tax under section 501 (c) (3) of the United States Internal Revenue Code.

1101 14th Street, NW, 11th Floor, Washington, DC 20005 202.682.1510 fax 202.682.1535

www.FINCA.org

www.FINCACanada.org

www.FINCAUK.org

FIINCA Uganda dairy client

Phot

o by

FIN

CA st

aff

Zar was joined by Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus, Emily Guegbeh Peal, CEO of Foundation for Women Liberia, Sathianathan Devaraj, Chairman and Managing Director of Grama Vidiyal Microfinance, India, and Deborah Lindholm, Founder and CEO of Foundation for Women, California.

3www.FINCA.org

We love getting letters from supporters when they send in their contributions. And, lately, we’re learning that our support-ers’ generosity knows no age constraints! We’ve received letters from three different organizations whose participants come from all walks of life, but have one thing in common—they believe in the power of FINCA small loans to change lives.

One letter came from Professor Ruth B. Schumacher, PhD, Director of International Studies at Urbana University’s College of Education and Sports Studies. Her students, all of whom are studying to become educators, contributed change from their pockets, cars, dorm rooms—any place they had spare change lying around—for 12 weeks because “these students believe

that every coin sent in is a step toward helping FINCA help people help them-selves,” and to prove that “education can make a difference beyond the classroom.”

Another letter is from a group of women who perform tribal belly dancing for community groups, and ask for a small contribution. The dancers, who call them-selves The Dalai Mamas, “dance as a service to the global community and to support organizations like FINCA.” They recently performed for seniors at the Mary Woods continuing care retirement community, and were pleased that they could send in their third contribution for FINCA’s work in “supporting our sisters in other countries.”

And then we received a contribution on behalf of a Sunday, co-ed softball team—

Pitch and Moan—a team sponsored by ZogSports, a social sports league that promotes charity and social action among young professionals in New York, New Jersey, Washington DC, Connecticut and Atlanta. The company donates 10 percent of its profits to help members give back to their communities. As a winning team, Pitch and Moan designated FINCA as its charity of choice.

There’s no limit to how you can support FINCA. No matter your age or interest, supporting FINCA can be fun and, best of all, really make a difference in the lives of hardworking women and their families. For more information, contact Mabel Valdivia by calling at 202.682.1510 or via email at Mabel.Valdivia@FINCA.org

Jesca Makumbi is a 34-year-old mother who shares her life with her husband and son named Goodluck in Kitunda, Tanzania. Life had been going well for the young couple until 1999, when her mother died, leaving Jesca not only with the pain of losing her, but with the responsibility of raising her three siblings.

Up to that point, Jesca and her husband relied solely on income he received from his job as a meat vendor as well as some support from her mother, which had allowed Jesca to begin to save money so she could purchase a plot of land on which she planned to grow vegetables. But when the couple was suddenly faced with supporting her two sisters and brother, and the added responsibility of paying their school fees, Jesca knew she had to find a way to contribute to the family’s income.

Jesca took her small savings and used it to purchase vegetables, which she sold from the home the family rented. She first learned about FINCA from a neighbor who was a member of FINCA Tanzania’s Valentine Village Banking group. The neighbor encouraged her to take a loan because she was convinced that it would help her change her life by helping her expand her business. Jesca decided to join the group in 2005, and used her first loan of TZS 200,000 or about $130, to buy a variety of vegetables, rent a table at the local market, and pay school fees for her brother and sisters.

Today, Jesca is in her 29th loan cycle with FINCA Tanzania, is still a member of the Valentine Village Banking group, and cur-rently has a loan for TZS 1,500,000 ($950).She’s added another product line to her business—selling chickens—and can now

count on a regular roster of clients. She contracts with a wedding planner to provide food for wedding parties, and also supplies vegetables, fruit and chickens to five hotels on a weekly basis.

But according to Jesca, her greatest achievements are that she’s been able to save enough to purchase land and build a house, send all of her siblings through school —her youngest sister is now attending university—and her son is a high- achieving student at the English middle school.

“I’m so proud to be part of FINCA family, and I believe without FINCA loans, my family life wouldn’t be the way it is today,” Jesca says. “Every member in my family is proud to be part of FINCA because they cherish our success.”

FINCA Cherishes Our Success

Supporting FINCA at any age and having fun, too!

Jesca Makumbi, FINCA Tanzania client

Phot

o by

FIN

CA st

aff

4 www.FINCA.org

Publishing a First-Person Experience for All to ShareLong-time supporters Delaina Miller and FINCA International Advisory Board Member Kristin Hatch spent two weeks getting to know the clients and staff of FINCA’s Uganda and Zambia subsidiaries, and were so moved by the experience that they’ve written an eBook, the proceeds of which will be donated to FINCA.

Global Voices: A FINCA Uganda & Zambia Experiology uses poetry, prose and photogra-phy to introduce you to real people whose lives are being changed with the help of FINCA’s small loans.

The authors’ goal is for people who read the book to be “be inspired to help make someone else’s dreams a possibility by lending support to FINCA.” They invite you to “Come walk the shores of Lake Victoria with us, and be a part of the change you want to see in the world.”

The book is available through Amazon.com

Plan Your End of Year Giving Now! Before you know it, you’ll be gather-ing with family and friends to celebrate the holidays and talk about the charities you want to support as 2012 draws to a close. At FINCA, there are a myriad of choices that fit your lifestyle and the priorities you set for making your charitable contributions. We hope you’ll consider one—or more— of these options as you reflect on your end-of-year giving plans.

A Gift of SecuritiesConsider a gift to FINCA of stocks, bonds or mutual funds. Any securities you’ve owned for twelve months or longer, whose value has increased, are subject to capital gains tax when sold. By giving these securities to FINCA, you receive a charitable deduction for their full fair market value and you avoid tax on the capital gain.

The Sustainers’ CircleThe most cost effective—and easiest—way to support FINCA. Simply determine a monthly contribution amount, provide us with credit card or checking account information, and your account will be billed automatically. You can change the amount, or withdraw from the program, simply by writing us.

Legacy SocietyFINCA’s Legacy Society provides an opportunity to include a bequest to FINCA in your will. A carefully-designed estate plan can provide significant estate tax relief, allow you to determine the distribution of your assets, and let you express your values through continued support of our work.

Honor and Memorial GiftsMaking a gift in honor, or memory, of a loved one is a thoughtful way to support FINCA’s poverty alleviation work, and make a statement of care about someone special in your life.

Corporate Matching GiftsCorporate matching gift programs are among the best and simplest ways for FINCA supporters to maximize the value of their personal contributions, and increase the impact of their gifts. Most programs match the charitable contributions of employees, dollar for dollar, and some even double or triple the amount!

For more information about any of these giving opportunities, please visitwww.FINCA.org, or contact Mabel Valdivia at 202.682.1510, or via email at Mabel.Valdivia@FINCA.org.

A true milestone in women’s empowerment is upon us . . . and we couldn’t be more

excited to invite

you to help us make it

happen!

Imagine one million micro-entrepreneurs—mostly women—slowly but surely lifting themselves and their families out of extreme poverty. Now imagine that you’ve been part of making this once-in-a-lifetime milestone a reality. You can be a part of this unique moment in FINCA’s history by donating through our safe and secure Million Client Campaign.

Your donation of any size will help us move one person closer to reaching our goal, and one step closer to alleviating poverty in some of the poorest communities on earth. Join the march toward One Million today. Visit http://onemillion.finca.org/

Help FINCA Reach our One Millionth Client!

Phot

o by

FIN

CA st

aff

FINCA Guatemala client, Caterina Cac de Lux