September 11, 2011

As part of an ongoing effort to fully migrate risk ratings to our new and enhanced risk rating system, Kiva has conducted a re-assessment of the level of risk posed by this institution.

During this re-assessment, our analysts were able to gather updated operational and financial information about the institution, as well as speak with key members of the staff. 

The information gathered during this process, together with the Kiva's new risk rating system and half-star support, has led us to revise Asociación ASDIR's risk rating from 4 to 3 stars. The analysts have found that Asociación ASDIR's risk variables, reviewed in the new risk rating model, were most representative of a 3-Star rating.

We have prepared a blog post with more information on Kiva's new and enhanced risk rating system, along with a chart showing the relative magnitude of the overall changes for Kiva's portfolio.  To view that, please go here: http://www.kiva.org/updates/kiva/2011/09/07/kiva-risk-ratings-now-with-half-stars.html.

Asociación ASDIR has been informed of our analysts’ findings and their corresponding change in rating.

ABOUT ASDIR

ASDIR (Asociación de Desarrollo Integral Rural - Association for the Development of Rural Communities) is a community-based organization that works to promote development in the villages and communities where it serves. It was founded in 1999 in the village of Nimasac, Totonicapán Department, by a handful of local men and women to support community projects and group loans. Today ASDIR has 5 offices across 3 departments (Totonicapán, Sololá and Suchitepéquez) serving more than 6,000 clients, most of them in rural communities.

MISSION

We are a development entity with community participation that facilitates rural and low-income population access to financial products and financial and business development services in order to improve the quality of life of our associates.

VISION

Be the regulated microfinance institution with community participation that has the most visible presence in its service areas and largest loan, business and community development project portfolio in rural communities in Guatemala’s western region.

PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

Loans:

• Micro-Enterprise
• Social Interest Housing (for low income clients)
• Agricultural
• Community banks (group loans focused on larger groups of women)
• Consumption (furniture, appliances, vehicles and education)
• Home Construction and Improvement
• Land Purchase
• Small & Medium-Size Businesses
• Large Businesses
• Solidarity Groups (groups of 2 to 7 persons with business experience)
• Technology (computers and office equipment)
  

ASDIR also offers other financial services:

• Insurance
• Remittance processing
• Utility payment processing

NEW PRODUCTS AND AGREEMENTS

ASDIR also looks for new financial products to serve their communities; the newest product addition is the “Community Bank” loan, which focuses on low-income women in rural areas. Most group members during the pilot stage were getting their first credit ever. In addition, the association currently has agreements with local vendors to finance certain products like computers and some locally manufactured equipment. Other products are continuously under review.

IN THE COMMUNITY

On the community development side, ASDIR offers low-cost typewriting, basic and intermediate computer courses. ASDIR is also an active participant in its host communities where it has installed "slow school crossing" signs to protect the safety of the students and trash cans through its youth-entrepreneurs program.

MANAGEMENT & STAFF

Being a grassroots organization, many of the founding members are still part of the board of directors and they keep focus on the mission. The board of directors has several working groups and committees have continuous presence across their branch offices.
ASDIR staff is a dedicated group of local people; all speak both K’iche and Spanish. While Spanish is Guatemala’s official language, K’iche is the first and in some cases only language of some local borrowers. By employing locals, ASDIR seeks to maintain an atmosphere of acceptance and warmth for their borrowers and prospective clients.

Español

ACERCA DE ASDIR

ASDIR es una organización comunitaria que promueve el desarrollo en las aldeas y comunidades en las que da servicio. Fue  fundada en 1999 en la Aldea Nimasac, Departamento de Totonicapán por un grupo de hombres y mujeres para apoyar proyectos comunitarios y prestamos grupales. Hoy ASDIR tiene 5 oficinas en 3 departamentos (Totonicapán, Sololá y Suchitepéquez) y cuenta con más de 6000 asociados, la mayoría en comunidades rurales.

MISION

Somos una entidad de desarrollo integral con participación comunitaria que facilita el acceso a productos, servicios financieros  y de desarrollo empresarial especialmente a la población rural pobre, contribuyendo a mejorar la calidad de vida de sus asociados y asociadas.

VISION

Ser la entidad microfinanciera regulada con participación comunitaria que tiene mayor presencia de puntos de servicio, volumen de cartera, productos financieros y proyectos de desarrollo social y empresarial en las comunidades rurales del occidente del país.

PRODUCTOS Y SERVICIOS

Préstamos:

• Microempresa
• Vivienda de interés social
• Agricultura
• Bancos Comunales  (grupos de mujeres de bajos recursos en áreas rurales)
• Consumo (muebles, electrodomésticos, educación y vehículos)
• Construcción y remodelación de vivienda
• Compra de terreno
• Pequeña y mediana empresa
• Empresa grande
• Grupos Solidarios (grupos de 2 a 7 personas con negocios establecidos)
• Tecnología (computadoras y equipo de oficina)
  

ASDIR también ofrece otros servicios:

• Seguros
• Pago de remesas
• Pago de servicios (luz y teléfono)

PRODUCTOS NUEVOS Y ACUERDOS COMERCIALES

ASDIR busca y prueba nuevos productos para servir a la comunidad. El producto más nuevo son los Bancos Comunales, que es un préstamo grupal enfocado en mujeres de bajos ingresos en áreas rurales. La mayoría de las asociadas en la fase piloto estaba recibiendo su primer crédito. ASDIR también cuenta con acuerdos con negocios y fabricantes locales para financiar computadoras y equipos comerciales.

EN LA COMUNIDAD

Por el lado del desarrollo comunitario, ASDIR ofrece clases de mecanografía y computación a bajo costo y también ha participado en las comunidades instalando señales para cruces peatonales en áreas escolares para mejorar la seguridad de los estudiantes y mediante el programa de jóvenes emprendedores instalaron varios botes de basura públicos.

GERENCIA Y PERSONAL

La junta directiva es un grupo activo que tiene varias comisiones que se reúnen frecuentemente, y visitan las sucursales. Además esta junta cuenta con varios miembros fundadores de la institución que se encargan de mantener a la institución en la dirección correcta.
El personal de ASDIR es un grupo dedicado de miembros de la comunidad, hablan K’iche y Español y esto les permite crear una atmósfera amigable para los asociados y futuros clientes. Aunque el idioma oficial de Guatemala es el español, en algunos casos los y futuros asociados solo hablan K’iche