Haiti > Esperanza International Dominican Republic, a partner of HOPE International

About the Field Partner

Field Partner:

Esperanza International Dominican Republic, a partner of HOPE International

Field Partner Risk Rating:

(Learn more)

33 months

7009

$1,612,225

0.00%

0.00%

Currency Exchange Loss Rate:

0.00%

See all loans from this field partner >>

Kiva Fundraising Status

Fundraising Status:	Active
See all fundraising loans from this field partner >>

Other Information Sources

MIX Profile:	View MIX Profile
Network Affiliation:	Grameen Foundation USA
Social Performance Reporting Level:	N/A
Consumer Protection Principles:	N/A
Field Partner Website:	View Website
Email Contact:	jnelson@esperanza.org

More than just a loan

Esperanza International is the story of what can happen when people believe in an idea and act to make it come true. In 1985, David Valle, then catching for the Seattle Mariners, decided to play winter ball in the Dominican Republic. Like many North American players before him, Dave didn't know exactly what to expect while living and playing outside of the United States.

As parents and as people who take special interest in kids, David and Vicky were deeply troubled by the condition of the boys and girls. They spent many hours talking about the children and made a commitment that as soon as they were able, they would return to the Dominican Republic to do whatever they could do to make a difference.

In 1995, Dave and Vicky founded Esperanza International as the response to their commitment. In 1999, Esperanza started official operations in DR. Today, Esperanza International has 8 branch offices in Dominican Republic and one in Haiti. Esperanza International Foundation is registered as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization in the State of Washington, USA and as a non-governmental organization in the Dominican Republic.

Mission Statement

The mission of Esperanza International is to free children and their families from poverty through initiatives that generate income, education and health, restoring self-worth and dignity to those who have lost hope.

We define poverty as the condition of the human being as a result of their broken relationships with God, other people, the creation and himself, as a consequence of sin. We expect, then, to assist them in their release from poverty through a transforming development process, which we define as the reconciliation process where the individual is restored to bless and be blessed, becoming an instrument for God’s Kingdom.

Values

Following Christ and living the Gospel in all of our relationships

Honoring the worth, dignity and potential of every person

Developing the whole person: body, mind, and spirit

Strengthening the family

Fostering a sense of community wherever we serve

Learning from all those with whom we serve as we endeavor to teach truth

The earth as God’s creation that we steward for the good of all people

Achieving excellence in all we do

Pursuing integrity over image

Enabling every person to have the opportunity to become all that God intends

Principles

Esperanza’s program principles lead toward and facilitate community-based sustainable development programs focused especially on benefiting children and their families.

It is our policy to provide assistance to those in need, regardless of religious or political persuasion, and that it will not be withheld for lack of certain sectarian, religious or political beliefs.

Esperanza will promote and support development policies, strategies and activities that:

Address the root causes of poverty, especially those impacting children, and facilitate activities that lead to improved living conditions, reduced infant mortality, greater life expectancy, better nutrition, improved education, increased income, environmental improvement

Focus on families and communities as the agents, planners, implementers and evaluators of the development efforts, where the vision comes from the people, and the ownership is theirs

Improve the capacity of people to learn from their experiences of development, to be empowered by that process and to lead more fulfilled lives with greater understanding of the world they live in

Free people from the bondage and oppression of cultural, social, spiritual and economic forces that inhibit becoming all that is intended

Build alliances and partnerships with other institutions with compatible goals, such as churches, non-governmental organizations and local community groups

Lead to more technically appropriate and sustainable activities and practices that contribute to self-sufficiency and self-reliance

Encourage systems that ensure accountability and integrity

Improve the leadership, management and organizational skills within the families and communities of a project area.

What other benefit are available to those involved in Esperanza’s microcredit program?

All borrowers are eligible to participate in a pre-paid health insurance plan. Each member can pay a modest fee and receive medical care at partner clinics during their time as active Esperanza clients. We also have a life insurance program for the members. For a very modest premium, the insurance will pay off their loans if they, their spouse, or children die.

Our female associates can participate in a developed training program to learn more advanced business and leadership skills and money management.

As Bank of Hope members work together in the normal course of managing their bank and the various business that the bank supports, they begin to develop a deep sense of accountability and support for each other. At the regular membership meeting of the banks, personal, family and community issues are discussed. The members find, sometimes for the first time, that other women face similar difficult circumstances. They provide each other moral, spiritual and physical support in ways that most have never experienced before.

There are also very practical, and sometimes, life saving expressions of support for members of the bank. When disasters strike, the members rally around each other to provide not only moral support but often financial and material support as well. In a very small way, they develop an informal safety net to protect against the unexpected disasters.

All of this leads to an elevated sense of self-worth, dignity and personal confidence. After the obvious economic benefits from being a member of a Bank of Hope, the next most stated benefit is that our clients gain respect and status from their families and other community members. This leads to profound changes in their perception of who they are and their place in the family and community. As dignity and self-worth are restored, they have hope for the future.

Esperanza International is also the first MFI in Dominican Republic to implement a microcredit program for people living with AIDS. HIV + patients and people currently living with the virus receive medical assistance through our partner clinics, counseling in the process of diagnosis and training for their better caretaking, along with microloans with a preferential payment timeframe and interest rate.

For further information, contact us at info@esperanza.org

Visit us at www.esperanza.org

Repayment Performance on Kiva

		This Field Partner	All Kiva Partners
	Start Date On Kiva	Feb 19, 2007	Oct 12, 2005
	Total Loans	$1,612,225	$101,725,835
	Amount of Raised Inactive Loans	$2,100	$107,000
	Number Of Raised Inactive Loans	1	146
	Amount of Paying Back Loans	$498,250	$44,505,625
	Number Of Paying Back Loans	315	63,046
	Amount of Ended Loans	$1,111,875	$57,113,210
	Number Of Ended Loans	750	83,632
	Delinquency Rate	0.00%	4.30%
	Amount of Paying Back Loans Delinquent	$0	$1,913,000
	Amount of Paying Back Loans	$498,250	$44,505,625
	Number of Paying Back Loans Delinquent	0	6,018
	Default Rate	0.00%	1.96%
	Amount of Ended Loans Defaulted	$0	$1,119,957
	Amount of Ended Loans	$1,111,875	$57,113,210
	Number Of Ended Loans Defaulted	0	3,369
	Currency Exchange Loss Rate	0.00%	0.00%
	Amount of Currency Exchange Loss	$0	$0
	Refund Rate	0.20%	1.09%
	Amount of Refunded Loans	$3,275	$1,108,850
	Number Of Refunded Loans	4	1,440
Updated as of November 20, 2009 1:00 AM

Loan Characteristics On Kiva

		This Field Partner	All Kiva Partners
	Loans to Women Entrepreneurs	91.16%	78.20%
	Average Loan Size	$230	$404
	Average Individual Loan Size	$692	$591
	Average Group Loan Size	$1,762	$1,493
	Average Number Of Entrepreneurs Per Group	8.3	0
	Average GDP Per Capita (PPP) in Local Country	$7,611	$3,464
	Average Loan Size / GDP Per Capita (PPP)	19.86%	11.65%
	Average Time To Fund A Loan	5.72 days	2.27 days
	Average Dollars Raised Per Day Per Loan	$40.30	$177.79
	Average Loan Term	5.96 months	9.32 months
Updated as of November 20, 2009 1:00 AM

Journaling Performance on Kiva

		This Field Partner	All Kiva Partners
	Total Journals	565	51639
	Journal Coverage	49.25%	28.27%
	Journal Coverage, Kiva Fellows	0.00%	0.22%
	Journal Frequency (Average Per Loan Per Year)	0.51	0.32
	Average Number Of Recommendations Per Journal	9.99	10.30
Updated as of November 20, 2009 1:00 AM

Borrowing Cost Comparison

	This Field Partner	Median for MFI Peers in Country	All Kiva Partners
Average Interest Rate and Fees Borrowers Pay (Portfolio Yield)	42%	45%	35.21%
Average Loan Size (% of Per Capita Income)	3%	4%	23.43%
Average Partner Return On Assets	-14%	3%	0.24%