Kiva conducts regular, ongoing monitoring of all Lending Partners, but only posts status updates here in response to relevant, major changes at the partner.

Status update — January 23, 2017

Kiva and CHF Vitas Iraq have agreed to end their partnership after nearly 7 years and more than $3.9 million in loans raised. This Lending Partner has repaid its outstanding balance to Kiva in full, and these funds have been distributed to lenders. We thank CHF Vitas Iraq for the years of collaboration and wish them success in their future endeavors.


Status update — January 28, 2016

Kiva has moved this Lending Partner to inactive status. This means CHF Vitas Iraq is no longer fundraising loans on Kiva, though Kiva fully expects the partner to continue to send repayments owed to Kiva lenders for as long as the partner has an outstanding balance. CHF Vitas Iraq and Kiva came to this decision mutually, as CHF Vitas Iraq is directing most of its resources on the increasingly challenging operating environment in Iraq. As such, CHF Vitas Iraq has decided that now is not the appropriate time to focus on posting loans to Kiva. If and when this partner requests to fundraise again on Kiva, Kiva will first conduct any additional monitoring and due diligence tasks we believe necessary.


Partner description: 

In July 2003 CHF International piloted the first microfinance program in Iraq, Access to Credit Services Initiative (ACSI) to address the demand for credit from micro and small businesses and homeowners. Since that time it has grown into the largest MFI in the country, covering over more than 65% of Iraq’s geographical area (as of December 2011). In 2015, ACSI entered the CHF International’s global network of microfinance institutions, known as Vitas Group, to expand its direct lending capacity. It is now known as CHF Vitas Iraq.

CHF Vitas Iraq’s mission is to contribute to the overall economic revitalization of Iraq by helping male and female business owners and homeowners to strengthen and expand their businesses, stabilize their income, and improve their habitat & quality of life; which is consistent with CHF International’s mission to improve the housing and economic circumstances, and environments of low and moderate income communities around the world.

CHF Vitas Iraq’s main objectives:

- Increase access to financial services for the working poor.
Stimulate and promote micro and small business development and improved living conditions.
Achieve and maintain financial sustainability to ensure that the program continues to serve the financial needs of the working poor.
Develop a transparent, and efficient credit process
Build customer loyalty by providing good customer service and developing products that meet demand
Maintain a high repayment rate and portfolio quality to ensure program success and financial sustainability
Build local community support for CHF Vitas Iraq’s services
Develop local staff capacity to carry out CHF Vitas Iraq activities.


The large demand for CHF Vitas Iraq services also demonstrates that Iraqis continue to seek opportunities to invest in their future.


Repayment Performance on Kiva

    This Lending Partner All Kiva Partners
  Start Date On Kiva Sep 29, 2010 Oct 12, 2005
Total Loans $3,988,325 $2,056,238,590
Amount of raised Inactive loans $0 $277,355
Number of raised Inactive loans 0 253
Amount of Paying Back Loans $0 $158,100,775
Number of Paying Back Loans 0 187,973
Amount of Ended Loans $3,988,325 $1,854,343,460
Number of Ended Loans 1,691 2,501,455
Delinquency Rate 0.00% 12.27%
Amount in Arrears $0 $11,965,982
Outstanding Portfolio $0 $97,560,700
Number of Loans Delinquent 0 63,552
Default Rate 0.16% 1.84%
Amount of Ended Loans Defaulted $6,375 $34,038,827
Number of Ended Loans Defaulted 7 91,258
Currency Exchange Loss Rate 0.00% 0.47%
Amount of Currency Exchange Loss $0 $12,742,203
Refund Rate 0.56% 0.55%
Amount of Refunded Loans $22,200 $11,261,520
Number of Refunded Loans 9 9,866

Loan Characteristics On Kiva

    This Lending Partner All Kiva Partners
  Loans to Women Borrowers 9.38% 78.49%
Average Loan Size $2,359 $393
Average Individual Loan Size $2,359 $585
Average Group Loan Size $0 $1,913
Average number of borrowers per group 0 8.3
Average GDP per capita (PPP) in local country $7,100 $5,592
Average Loan Size / GDP per capita (PPP) 33.23% 7.03%
Average Time to Fund a Loan 17.58 days 9.13 days
Average Dollars Raised Per Day Per Loan $134.23 $43.04
  Average Loan Term 11.97 months 11.5 months

Journaling Performance on Kiva

    This Lending Partner All Kiva Partners
  Total Journals 38 1,224,773
  Journaling Rate 2.25% 41.91%
  Average Number of Comments Per Journal 0.11 0.02
  Average Number of Recommendations Per Journal 0.00 0.55

Borrowing Cost Comparison (based on 2013 data)

    This Lending Partner Median for MFI's in Country All Kiva Partners
  Average Cost to Borrower 28% PY 27.00% PY 26.61% PY
  Profitability (return on assets) 3.9% 16.7% -1.37%
  Average Loan Size (% of per capita income) N/A 26.00% 0.00%

Country Fast Facts

Lending Partner Staff