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Senegal > UIMCEC, a partner of ChildFund International

In 1997, Christian Children's Fund (CCF) Senegal initiated a micro-credit program with the aim of increasing the well-being of children through increased family income. The program began as a pilot project, which starting in 2001 and evolved into the Union of Institution Mutualiste Communautaire d’Epargne et de Credit (UIMCEC), a credit union created to serve families living in the communities where CCF projects are engaged in sponsorship and child-focused development programs.

IMCEC provides financial services from 26 branches, to the economically active poor in the regions of Dakar, Thies, Mbour, and Casamance. Targeted IMCEC clients are mainly women, displaced persons, unemployed youth and former soldiers. The main services offered are : savings, loans, money transfer and client business trainings.

IMCEC defines its mission as the following :

Improve the economic growth and well-being of families through sustainable access to financial services in support of income generating activities, especially targeted to women and at-risk groups like displaced persons, unemployed youth and returning former soldiers.

Integrate micro-enterprise development programs, through its partnership with ChildFund International (Christian Children's Fund's current name), into ChildFund traditional programs whose prime object remain the well-being of children.

IMCEC goals are to:

Support micro entrepreneurs to strengthen and expand their businesses;

Assist individuals to create their own livelihoods;

Help micro entrepreneurs build their capacity to manage businesses;

Create employment in rural areas;

Encourage the transition to a market economy;

Attract people to return to and remain in rural regions and;

• Increase independence from humanitarian assistance.

IMCEC’s vision is to be a self-sustainable microfinance institution, with an outreach that is inclusive, broad and having a strong and deep impact on the well-being of client families.

As of December 31, 2007, IMCEC has disbursed 20,572 loans for $6,491,629. The active portfolio stands at $5,753,180 and savings deposits of $3,861,165. In the municipalities where IMCEC has operated the longest, almost 65% of all disbursed loans are to repeat clients who have successfully completed the terms of their previous loan. IMCEC has 39,214 registered members.

Management and Governance Structure:

IMCEC has a Board of Directors in each of the four regions its serves and a national Board of Directors with elected representation from each region board. In addition to the Board of Directors, IMCEC also has an elected Credit Committee and Internal-Control committee in each region.

Photo left to right :

M Lamine DIA

Mme Sina Aïdara BA

M El Hadji Abdou Youssouf SAKHO

M Ousmane THIONGANE

Mme Hélène Elisabeth Diouf NDONG

M El Hadji Gana DIOP

M Momo BANGOURA