Status Update - April 29, 2011:

Ahon sa Hirap, Inc. (ASHI) has been a partner of Kiva's for twenty-nine months, successfully paying back $381,775 in loans since the partnership began in November of 2008.  

ASHI has decided to close its relationship with Kiva.  The following is a message from the President of ASHI: "To all our valued partners, who have supported our members, thank you for your participation in poverty alleviation through Ahon sa Hirap.  We are leaving Kiva in good faith, that all of your support have inspired many of our members. We hope our paths will cross in some future partnership.  God bless you and your family."

There are $160,108 in current outstanding loans; as repayments come in from these borrowers, those funds will also be paid back to lenders.

We'd like to thank Kiva lenders for their support of ASHI borrowers over the last 29 months. $745,300 has been raised for ASHI borrowers with the help of the Kiva community. Many thanks for your continued support!

Original Partner Description

ASHI has the distinction of being the oldest existing replication of Grameen Bank Approach (GBA) to credit delivery to the bottom poor in the Philippines. With its outstanding achievements over the years, it has become one of the role models in credit delivery to the poor in the country.

ASHI drew its initial inspiration from the vision and success of the Grameen Bank of Bangladesh founded by Professor Muhammad Yunus. Prof. Yunus believes that "the millions of small people with the millions of their small pursuits can add up to create the biggest development wonder". Translated into ASHI's basic principles, given direct access to non-collateral loan funds, the poor can increase their income and employment opportunities and in so doing not only rise from poverty but contribute significantly to the country's social and economic development pursuits.

The successful (GBA) in Bangladesh has triggered its replication in about 30 countries. ASHI, traces its beginnings in January 1989 as an action-research project of the University of the Philippines Los Banos (UPLB) , a professor of the College of Economics of the same university. The project entitled "The Rural Credit to Reduce Hard Core Poverty Action-Research Project" funded by the Asia Pacific Development Center (APDC) based in Malaysia, replicated GBA in some selected sites in the country over a period of three years (1989-1991). Throughout this period, four areas were covered namely, Laguna, Rizal, Zambales and Bulacan. The initial project sites were located within 50-kilometer radius of UPLB in Laguna for easy access and monitoring. It has then expanded in the nearby towns of Calamba forming a center with about 30 women. The initial success of the project attracted a number of religious groups making the program a part of their mission work. Protestant groups have been instrumental in forming centers in Bulacan and in Metro Manila (Muntinlupa), the only urban site of the project. Dynamic and socially oriented Roman Catholic priests helped in pioneering the work in Jalajala, Morong and in Talim Island, Binangonan, and Rizal.

Eventually with the indication that sustaining the benefits derived from the project and expanding the areas of coverage will prove difficult once the project reaches its termination. ASHI was formed and registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission as a non-stock, non-profit Non-government Organization (NGO) in September 1991. This transformation of status from an action-research project to an NGO has allowed it to enter into contract and loan arrangements with and receive grants and donations from various local and international agencies.

ASHI is the only NGO in the country that uses contextualized Grameen Bank Approach. While it desires to endeavor in other poverty alleviation efforts, focusing on credit delivery for the poor was a deliberate decision based on the recognition it is not a very easy task. It requires hardwork and commitment and, therefore, should not be simply relegated as a special service window.