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Rwanda > Vision Finance Company s.a. (VFC), a partner of World Vision International


About Vision Finance Company s.a – Rwanda
Established in 1999, Vision Finance Company (VFC) is an affiliate of World Vision International. Since its founding, VFC has been committed to alleviating poverty in Rwanda by ensuring that poor people have access to credit to support business initiatives that will improve their life circumstances.
Vision Finance Company’s mission is to promote economic empowerment and improve the standard of living of the Rwandan population through the provision of financial services to the working poor with an emphasis on women living in rural areas.

Our Lending Methodologies:
1. Community Banks
These loan circles create an opportunity for the poorest entrepreneurs to obtain credit. Self-selected groups of 10 - 30 borrowers agree to cross-guarantee each other’s loans. The group screens potential borrowers and tracks each repayment, building their leadership and sense of pride along the way. Loans typically range from US $ 20 - 394.
2. Solidarity Groups
Designed for more experienced entrepreneurs with larger enterprises, Solidarity Groups have fewer members than Community Banks, with an average of 5 members who guarantee each other’s loans. Members who make repayments on time become eligible for larger individual loans. Loan sizes range from US $175 - 890.
3. Individual Loans
Clients who have either grown their businesses successfully through a Solidarity Group or have medium-sized businesses qualify for individual loans ranging from US $890-7150. Loans typically require either two guarantors or collateral. Borrowers often create a multi-year business plan in consultation with their loan officer

Our Current Lending Products:
1. Urunana Product: poor clients, particularly women, without collateral or assets are targeted for access to credit. Group sizes vary from 3 – 20 or more.
2. Ubwizerane Product: experienced poor clientele are promoted to smaller groups and receive larger loan amounts.
3. Koramuhinzi Product*: agriculture loan product targeting individual rural farmers.
4.Inyongerabukungu Product*: targeted towards cooperatives of various sizes - primarily poor rural farmers.
5. Jyambere Product: entrepreneurs who possess collateral or presenting guarantors have access to loans.
6. Gubwaneza Product: low-level salaried people have access to loans through individual loan methodology based on standard credit processes.
7.Akarusho Product: also known as ‘asset-loan’ and ‘micro-leasing’, clients have opportunities to obtain/purchase equipments through loans.
8. Ngoboka Product: excellent clients have access to loans in the even of an emergency cash need situation.

* Vision Finance is among few financial institutions targeting farmers and providing agricultural credit options in Rwanda. This access to credit is critical for their ability to succeed and even exist as going concerns.

Our Savings Products:
1. Flexi Account: clients can save and make withdrawals many times as they want without penalties or fees.
2. Vosa Account: clients earn interest on their savings; withdrawal is once per week without penalties or fees.
3. FDA Account: this is fixed deposit account from 3 to 12 months, clients earn interest up to 7% per year.
4. Nyizera Product (Compulsory Savings): clients are required to save at least 10% to 20% of the amount borrowed in order to secure their loans.

Kiva Help Repayment Performance on Kiva

    This Field Partner All Kiva Partners
  Start Date On Kiva May 24, 2008 Oct 12, 2005
Total Loans $519,475 $118,121,935
Amount of Raised Inactive Loans $0 $147,475
Number Of Raised Inactive Loans 0 212
Amount of Paying Back Loans $381,675 $50,404,975
Number Of Paying Back Loans 425 68,278
Amount of Ended Loans $137,800 $67,569,485
Number Of Ended Loans 168 99,368
Delinquency Rate 0.00% 4.10%
Amount of Paying Back Loans Delinquent $0 $2,067,573
Amount of Paying Back Loans $381,675 $50,404,975
Number of Paying Back Loans Delinquent 0 7,071
Default Rate 0.00% 1.73%
Amount of Ended Loans Defaulted $0 $1,170,399
Amount of Ended Loans $137,800 $67,569,485
Number Of Ended Loans Defaulted 0 3,524
Currency Exchange Loss Rate 0.00% 0.00%
Amount of Currency Exchange Loss $0 $0
Refund Rate 2.10% 1.05%
Amount of Refunded Loans $10,925 $1,240,850
Number Of Refunded Loans 13 1,583
Updated as of February 9, 2010 1:04 AM

Kiva Help Loan Characteristics On Kiva

    This Field Partner All Kiva Partners
  Loans to Women Entrepreneurs 61.88% 78.07%
Average Loan Size $641 $401
Average Individual Loan Size $841 $595
Average Group Loan Size $1,266 $1,545
Average Number Of Entrepreneurs Per Group 5.5 0
Average GDP Per Capita (PPP) in Local Country $1,000 $3,428
Average Loan Size / GDP Per Capita (PPP) 87.60% 11.69%
Average Time To Fund A Loan 1.01 days 2.45 days
Average Dollars Raised Per Day Per Loan $634.26 $163.61
  Average Loan Term 8.01 months 9.27 months
Updated as of February 9, 2010 1:04 AM

Kiva Help Journaling Performance on Kiva

    This Field Partner All Kiva Partners
  Total Journals 104 60314
Journal Coverage 15.75% 29.52%
Journal Coverage, Kiva Fellows 0.00% 0.19%
  Journal Frequency (Average Per Loan Per Year) 0.30 0.31
  Average Number Of Recommendations Per Journal 17.56 8.88
Updated as of February 9, 2010 1:04 AM

Kiva Help Borrowing Cost Comparison

    This Field Partner Median for MFI Peers in Country All Kiva Partners
  Average Interest Rate and Fees Borrowers Pay (Portfolio Yield) 44% 30% 35.22%
  Average Partner Return On Assets (Average Profitability) -30% -12% -0.47%
  Average Loan Size (% of Per Capita Income) 22% 23% 43.94%

Field Partner Staff

Patrick Birasa
Laura Buhler
Shem Kakembo
Jean Paul Karangwa-Dusabe
Claude Mansell
Olive Mukankwaya
Bernard Niyomugabo
Frederic Nsabimana
Jean Claude Uwitonze

Kiva Help Country Fast Facts

Country: Rwanda
Capital: Kigali
Official Language: Kinyarwanda (official) universal Bantu vernacular, French (official), English (official), Kiswahili (Swahili) used in commercial centers
Population: 10186063
Avg Annual Income: $1,000
Labor Force: Agriculture: 90% Industry and Services: 10%
Population Below Poverty Line: 60%
Literacy Rate: 70.4%
Infant Mortality Rate (per 1000): 83.42 deaths
Life Expectancy: 49.76 years
Currency: Rwanda Francs
Exchange Rate: 570.0000 RWF = 1 USD