Haiti
» Capital: Port-au-Prince» Population: 8.4 million
» Concern started work in: 1994
» Concern's annual budget: 5,275,878
» Concern staff: 135
» GDP per capita: US $1,892
» Life expectancy: 52 years
» Living with HIV&AIDS: 3.8%
» Literacy: 52%
» Currency: Gourde
La Gonāve Microfinance Project
La Gonāve is an island located in the west department of Haiti.
It has a population of 100,000 and is one of Haitis most under-developed areas.
Most of the population subsists on charcoal production, small trading, raising livestock, fishing and limited agricultural production.
Due to its inaccessibility, infrastructure, input and state services are virtually non-existent.
Why Concern became involved
Poverty is widespread, but modest amounts of financial capital allow poor families to invest in small-scale economic activities.
The profits from these make a significant contribution to overall family income.
What Concern has done
As far back as 1998, Concern alongside a local Non-governmental organisation, Asosyasyon Animate Payizan in La Gonāve (AAPLAG) implemented a microfinance project on the island.
Such a project organized village bank groups, where poor women of the island accessed internal and external loan facilities in order to support small business activities and raise family income.
Income generated from individual businesses improved the livelihood of the poor households.
A network of organized women's groups, from the poorest households on the island, has a membership of over 2,000.
