mission

Microfinance Solidaire is an impact investment company, created by the association Entrepreneurs du Monde in the form of a simplified joint-stock company under French law in 2010.

Its mission is to fund the creation and growth of organizations in developing countries that improve financial inclusion and access to essential services for very poor families.

Two main activities are funded:

  • Social Microfinance; and
  • Access to energy.
15 social microfinance institutions5 social enterprises14 countries€11.2 million in assets under management

Today, we support 20 social enterprises in 14 countries, from their creation to the achievement of financial equilibrium, and beyond. They support 350,000 families every year.

The final beneficiaries:

  • Live in slums on the outskirts of big cities,
  • In landlocked rural areas,
  • Without access to water, electricity or health care,
  • Are mainly women (86%).
350,000 beneficiaries48% in rural areas86% women

SOCIAL PERFORMANCE AND ENVIRONMENTAL

Microfinance Solidaire is developing a dashboard to monitor the social performance of the companies it supports, in partnership with Entrepreneurs du Monde and the CERISE-SPTF network. This table will make it possible to evaluate the social performance of each entity.

Monitoring social performance allows an organization to ensure that it has the means to achieve its social goals. This approach allows it to know its reach among its target audience and to identify its strengths and define the actions to be implemented to improve its practices. Social performance monitoring evaluates processes, unlike impact studies that evaluate medium- and long-term effects.

Organizations funded by Microfinance Solidaire carry out a social performance audit every two years on average. These audits use the social audit tools CERISE-SPI4 and CERISE SBS.

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS (SDGS)

SDG

Defined by the United Nations, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), also known as the Global Goals, are a global call to action to eradicate poverty, protect the planet and ensure that all human beings live in peace and prosperity. These 17 Goals build on the successes of the Millennium Development Goals, while incorporating new concerns such as climate change, peace and justice, among other priorities. These goals are closely related to each other, with the success of one often depending on solving problems usually associated with another goal.

As part of our activities, we contribute to 6 of the 17 goals.

IMPACT STUDIES

At the end of 2017, Microfinance Solidaire launched for the first time in Burkina Faso a study to assess the impacts of one of the companies it supports. The aim is to identify the effects of a financial services programme for access to cooking gas.

The study will determine:

  • if the payment facilities set up by our partner make it possible to increase the rate of gas use among the beneficiary population,
  • to what extent access to gas contributes to a decrease in the consumption of non-renewable wood and charcoal,
  • whether reductions in pollutant emissions are associated with this intervention (fine particulate matter and greenhouse gases),
  • and whether an improvement in living conditions in terms of reduced meal preparation time, wood chores, participation in the labour market and access to education is observed.

This study is conducted in partnership with a team of researchers from PSL University – Paris Dauphine. Microfinance Solidaire finances a doctoral position in a CIFRE-ANRT agreement within this team.