Where we work

Rural outreach

Terrafina Microfinance focuses on rural areas in West Africa, the Horn, and the Great Lakes region. Terrafina's work enables emerging MFIs that are contributing to the economic growth of the local community to achieve financial sustainability in a period of five to ten years. The programme also encourages more established MFIs to intensify their outreach into rural areas, thus intensifying the programme's effectiveness.

Terrafina Microfinance started its work in 2005 in Mali, Burkina Faso, Rwanda, Ethiopia and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), followed by Burundi and Senegal in 2007. In four short years, through more than 100 financing projects to 56 MFIs, Terrafina has invested much needed funding, including: EUR 7.4 million in grants; EUR 2.7 million in guarantees; and EUR 7.4 million in loans in these countries.

As can be seen in the graph, the largest grant financing is concentrated in Ethiopia and Rwanda, whereas the most substantial loan and guarantee funding is related to Oikocredit's offices in West Africa.