Original Partner Description

Turame Community Finance, s.a. is a leading microfinance institution in Burundi. In 2004 TURAME began its activities as the social development arm of World Relief in two Burundian provinces: Bujumbura and Gitega. Each province started with 8 groups each, for a total of 715 clients. On January 2007, it was then registered as a licensed microfinance institution, which seeks to reduce human suffering caused by poverty through providing financial and non-financial services. As of December 2009, it has grown to work in 10 of 17 provinces with more than 19,000 clients.

TURAME’s vision is to reduce human suffering and empower all Burundian families to live spiritually, economically, and socially transformed lives, enjoying life in abundance in the Kingdom of God.

The mission of Turame is to deliver financial and related non-financial services to productive Burundians, especially the poor and women, through the development of sustainable micro (small-scale) enterprises and by encouraging people to save.

Turame offers competitive products, including credit delivery, savings, credit with education, business training and counselling. The main lending methodology is community banking, Solidarity groups and individual lending.

Turame has a 5-year business plan (2009 to 2013) and the target is to reach 40,000 clients at the end of the business plan. This includes developing several new products according to what the customer wants.