FUDECOSUR
Approved to post Kiva loans from: Costa Rica
Kiva conducts regular, ongoing monitoring of all Lending Partners, but only posts status updates here in response to relevant, major changes at the partner.
Partner description:
The Foundation for the Development of Southern Communities (FUDECOSUR) is a non-profit microfinance institution established in 1993 to promote development in the poorest regions of Southern Costa Rica. FUDECOSUR operates in 165 communities located in the cantons of Pérez Zeledón, Buenos Aires, and Coto Brus. As a non-profit, it funnels all income earned from interest payments back into local communities to expand credit opportunities and fund non-financial services like computer education.
The main source of income for FUDECOSUR’s clients is small-scale farming, supplemented in many cases by part-time work for large plantations in the area. To serve the unique needs of the agricultural market -- which runs on the ups and downs of the harvest cycle -- credit is often extended for longer loan terms, with principle payments made once yearly.
FUDECOSUR utilizes the village banking model to facilitate lending and education. This model empowers the communities where FUDECOSUR works by training village residents to run village banks, also known as credit committees.
With dedicated mentoring and guidance from loan officers, FUDECOSUR’s village banks are run by five to seven dedicated volunteers, who are elected every two years by members of their community. Partnering with FUDECOSUR’s loan officers, credit committees are responsible for assessing and approving loan requests, disbursing loans to borrowers, collecting loan payments, documenting all credit requests and exchanges, and monitoring borrower progress. Credit committees are also charged with educating their community members on FUDECOSUR rules and requirements for soliciting, receiving and repaying loans.
These village banks are comprised of a locally-elected president, vice-president, treasurer, secretary, compliance officer and up to two additional representatives who meet twice monthly to receive payments and distribute credit to their local communities. Loan officers from the FUDECOSUR central office visit each village bank once a month to review procedures and approve new loans. A board of directors comprised of elected borrowers oversees this community credit provision and meets at the central office monthly.
Notably, 31% of these elected positions and 35% of loan funds are earmarked for female participants, helping to empower the women living and working in these communities. The village banking model helps mitigate risk by utilizing the intimate knowledge that these communities possess about market conditions on the ground. It also creates a bond of trust in these farming communities between the organization and its clients, ensuring that decision-making starts at the community level. Finally, the ability to obtain loans without having to leave the community helps keep costs down and ensures a low cost of debt for the communities FUDECOSUR serves.
In addition to credit, FUDECOSUR borrowers benefit from free community and business development courses funded by the institution. Free technical training and education courses are provided to increase crop and cattle yields, improve community health and sanitation, and expand alternative job opportunities. Course themes are requested by the village banks, and are coordinated by the FUDECOSUR director and loan officers. They find experts in each field of training, including technical college agronomists for crop cultivation or livestock care courses, and information technology professionals for computer training courses. Village bank communities have benefitted from detailed courses combining theory and practice. Examples include:
• Livestock Health Care and Output Optimization
• Coffee Cultivation and Output Optimization
• Hydroponic Farming Capacitation (to optimize more environmentally-friendly, pesticide-free, fungicide-free, and disease-free farming)
• Food Handling and Sanitation (to improve community health and support start-up food service businesses)
• Computer Training (Microsoft Office for children and adults)
• Sewing/Clothes Making
• Community Recycling
• Water Purification
To support additional village banks for new clients in need, FUDECOSUR opened a second office in San Vito in April 2011. The institution currently operates 45 village banks.
To learn more about FUDECOSUR and its borrowers, see the following resources:
- Kiva Fellow Blog posts:
Bank-O-Mat Under a Hot Tin Roof: Making Non-Profit Microfinance Sustainable
Village Banks BY Farmers FOR Farmers: A Microcredit Labor of Love
Or visit fudecosur.org for more information.
Partner description:
The Foundation for the Development of Southern Communities (FUDECOSUR) is a non-profit microfinance institution established in 1993 to promote development in the poorest regions of Southern Costa Rica. FUDECOSUR operates in 165 communities located in the cantons of Pérez Zeledón, Buenos Aires, and Coto Brus. As a non-profit, it funnels all income earned from interest payments back into local communities to expand credit opportunities and fund non-financial services like computer education.
The main source of income for FUDECOSUR’s clients is small-scale farming, supplemented in many cases by part-time work for large plantations in the area. To serve the unique needs of the agricultural market -- which runs on the ups and downs of the harvest cycle -- credit is often extended for longer loan terms, with principle payments made once yearly.
FUDECOSUR utilizes the village banking model to facilitate lending and education. This model empowers the communities where FUDECOSUR works by training village residents to run village banks, also known as credit committees.
With dedicated mentoring and guidance from loan officers, FUDECOSUR’s village banks are run by five to seven dedicated volunteers, who are elected every two years by members of their community. Partnering with FUDECOSUR’s loan officers, credit committees are responsible for assessing and approving loan requests, disbursing loans to borrowers, collecting loan payments, documenting all credit requests and exchanges, and monitoring borrower progress. Credit committees are also charged with educating their community members on FUDECOSUR rules and requirements for soliciting, receiving and repaying loans.
These village banks are comprised of a locally-elected president, vice-president, treasurer, secretary, compliance officer and up to two additional representatives who meet twice monthly to receive payments and distribute credit to their local communities. Loan officers from the FUDECOSUR central office visit each village bank once a month to review procedures and approve new loans. A board of directors comprised of elected borrowers oversees this community credit provision and meets at the central office monthly.
Notably, 31% of these elected positions and 35% of loan funds are earmarked for female participants, helping to empower the women living and working in these communities. The village banking model helps mitigate risk by utilizing the intimate knowledge that these communities possess about market conditions on the ground. It also creates a bond of trust in these farming communities between the organization and its clients, ensuring that decision-making starts at the community level. Finally, the ability to obtain loans without having to leave the community helps keep costs down and ensures a low cost of debt for the communities FUDECOSUR serves.
In addition to credit, FUDECOSUR borrowers benefit from free community and business development courses funded by the institution. Free technical training and education courses are provided to increase crop and cattle yields, improve community health and sanitation, and expand alternative job opportunities. Course themes are requested by the village banks, and are coordinated by the FUDECOSUR director and loan officers. They find experts in each field of training, including technical college agronomists for crop cultivation or livestock care courses, and information technology professionals for computer training courses. Village bank communities have benefitted from detailed courses combining theory and practice. Examples include:
• Livestock Health Care and Output Optimization
• Coffee Cultivation and Output Optimization
• Hydroponic Farming Capacitation (to optimize more environmentally-friendly, pesticide-free, fungicide-free, and disease-free farming)
• Food Handling and Sanitation (to improve community health and support start-up food service businesses)
• Computer Training (Microsoft Office for children and adults)
• Sewing/Clothes Making
• Community Recycling
• Water Purification
To support additional village banks for new clients in need, FUDECOSUR opened a second office in San Vito in April 2011. The institution currently operates 45 village banks.
To learn more about FUDECOSUR and its borrowers, see the following resources:
- Kiva Fellow Blog posts:
Bank-O-Mat Under a Hot Tin Roof: Making Non-Profit Microfinance Sustainable
Village Banks BY Farmers FOR Farmers: A Microcredit Labor of Love
Or visit fudecosur.org for more information.
Repayment Performance on Kiva
| This Lending Partner | All Kiva Partners | ||
| Start Date On Kiva | Oct 8, 2009 | Oct 12, 2005 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Loans | $4,130,405 | $2,061,427,940 | |
| Amount of raised Inactive loans | $0 | $389,200 | |
| Number of raised Inactive loans | 0 | 318 | |
| Amount of Paying Back Loans | $883,955 | $151,289,490 | |
| Number of Paying Back Loans | 817 | 180,128 | |
| Amount of Ended Loans | $3,246,450 | $1,864,455,145 | |
| Number of Ended Loans | 3,671 | 2,517,146 | |
| Delinquency Rate | 36.84% | 11.61% | |
| Amount in Arrears | $220,921 | $10,584,537 | |
| Outstanding Portfolio | $571,445 | $91,136,425 | |
| Number of Loans Delinquent | 743 | 34,410 | |
| Default Rate | 0.10% | 1.83% | |
| Amount of Ended Loans Defaulted | $3,396 | $34,072,925 | |
| Number of Ended Loans Defaulted | 4 | 91,307 | |
| Currency Exchange Loss Rate | 0.00% | 0.47% | |
| Amount of Currency Exchange Loss | $49,538 | $12,915,654 | |
| Refund Rate | 0.85% | 0.55% | |
| Amount of Refunded Loans | $35,150 | $11,263,070 | |
| Number of Refunded Loans | 27 | 9,868 |
Loan Characteristics On Kiva
| This Lending Partner | All Kiva Partners | ||
| Loans to Women Borrowers | 34.73% | 78.52% | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Loan Size | $923 | $393 | |
| Average Individual Loan Size | $923 | $585 | |
| Average Group Loan Size | $0 | $1,914 | |
| Average number of borrowers per group | 0 | 8.3 | |
| Average GDP per capita (PPP) in local country | $12,900 | $5,592 | |
| Average Loan Size / GDP per capita (PPP) | 7.15% | 7.03% | |
| Average Time to Fund a Loan | 11.14 days | 9.14 days | |
| Average Dollars Raised Per Day Per Loan | $82.81 | $43.02 | |
| Average Loan Term | 35.64 months | 11.5 months |
Journaling Performance on Kiva
| This Lending Partner | All Kiva Partners | ||
| Total Journals | 2,805 | 1,228,670 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Journaling Rate | 68.19% | 41.93% | |
| Average Number of Comments Per Journal | 0.00 | 0.02 | |
| Average Number of Recommendations Per Journal | 0.01 | 0.55 |
Borrowing Cost Comparison (based on 2016 data)
| This Lending Partner | Median for MFI's in Country | All Kiva Partners | ||
| Average Cost to Borrower | 17% PY | 23.00% PY | 27.12% PY | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Profitability (return on assets) | -3.27% | 0.5% | -1.71% | |
| Average Loan Size (% of per capita income) | N/A | 28.00% | 0.00% |
Country Fast Facts
- Country:
- Costa Rica
- Capital:
- San Jose
- Official Language:
- Spanish
- Population:
- 4,755,234
- Avg Annual Income:
- $12,900
- Labor Force:
- agriculture: 14%, industry: 22%, services: 64%
- Population Below Poverty Line:
- 24.80%
- Literacy Rate:
- 96.30%
- Infant Mortality Rate (per 1000):
- 8.7 deaths
- Life Expectancy:
- 78.23 years
Lending Partner Staff
KENIA ALVARADOkarla Cascante Hidalgo
Diogenes Garcia Hidalgo
Silvia Villalobos Ceciliano