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 - February 17, 2022

Kiva has moved this Lending Partner to inactive status which means CAMFED Zimbabwe is no longer fundraising loans on Kiva. This is due to the macroeconomic situation and currency risks in Zimbabwe. Despite these challenging circumstances, CAMFED Zimbabwe borrowers have fully repaid their outstanding loans. If and when the situation allows Kiva to reactivate partners in Zimbabwe, we will first conduct any additional monitoring and due diligence tasks we believe necessary.

Status update - October 29, 2019

In July 2019, the Zimbabwean government issued new legislation barring the use of US dollars and converting all prices and contracts previously denominated in USD to Zimbabwean dollars at a 1:1 ratio. The new Zimbabwean dollar was introduced in October 2018 and is currently going through a period of hyperinflation. Faced with this situation, we have paused all lending activities with Camfed Zimbabwe and are working on a recovery plan for the outstanding loans. The situation in Zimbabwe is dire and has been disastrous for borrowers and lending institutions across the country. We will update lenders when we have more information.

During this partnership, Kiva lenders have made $2 million dollars in loans to CAMA members possible since 2013. Kiva is proud of the work that Camfed Zimbabwe has done in a very tough operating environment and sincerely hope that their Kiva lending program is able to recover from the macro-economic crisis and continue to be a force of positive impact in Zimbabwe.

Status update - July 19, 2017

Camfed Zimbabwe has continued to show great effort to reduce and manage borrower delinquency, despite the turbulent economy in Zimbabwe. While their delinquency rate is currently at 30.81%, borrowers remain very committed to repaying their loans. We thank Camfed Zimbabwe for their great work thus far, and their commitment to continue to work toward reducing their delinquency on Kiva. 

Status update - May 29, 2015

Since our last status update, Camfed Zimbabwe has introduced a number of changes to address delinquency issues and increase the likelihood of timely repayment on loans going forward. As a result, Camfed will resume posting loans to Kiva in June.

Borrowers are all very committed to repaying their loans, even if circumstances have slowed their repayments. ,Community representatives at the local district level are being engaged to provide mentoring and support during this time. Camfed expects that the environment of mutual support and ‘sisterhood’ that has been established through its network will continue to bring in repayments from outstanding loans. Those who have been able to successfully repay their loan are in many cases pooling resources to support fellow CAMA members who are struggling. 

To ensure strong delinquency management controls are in place for future loans, Camfed will focus on lending to borrowers who already have a strong track record in repaying their previous Kiva loans. To build capacity for newer borrowers without a strong history of repayment, Camfed will provide additional business skills training, helping borrowers to identify more innovative business ideas. Camfed has built staff and volunteer capacity at local levels to help ensure there’s a high level of field-level coordination and monitoring, which will enable faster follow up on delinquent loans. 

As a result of recent action taken, Camfed anticipates a reduction in its delinquency rate on Kiva and expects to avoid similar issues in the future. However, Kiva considers loans to Camfed borrowers to be higher risk until we’ve received repayment data to confirm that the recent actions are indeed reducing delinquency risk. 

Status update - April 21, 2015

Camfed Zimbabwe is currently experiencing a higher than usual delinquency rate as a result of several factors affecting borrowers:

In early 2015, parts of Zimbabwe suffered from intense flooding and currently, severe drought is affecting almost two-thirds of the country. This has resulted in unexpected emergency expenditures and reduced income for both Camfed Zimbabwe borrowers and their customers, many of whom rely on agriculture for their livelihood.

A countrywide reduction in the income and buying power of teachers across Zimbabwe has also affected many Camfed Zimbabwe borrowers because teachers are among their core clientele. 

Many of Camfed Zimbabwe loans are being made to young women borrowers who have just started their first businesses. As they develop their entrepreneurial skills, they are still learning to achieve on-time payments. 

Camfed is establishing best practices in delinquency management through this experience. Kiva continues to work closely with Camfed during this time, and will updated lenders as the situation changes. 

Partner Description 

The Campaign for Female Education (CAMFED) is an international non-profit organization tackling poverty and inequality by supporting girls to go to school and succeed, and empowering young women to step up as leaders of change. Since 1993, CAMFED’s innovative education programs in Zimbabwe, Zambia, Ghana, Tanzania and Malawi have directly supported more than 2.6 million students to attend primary and secondary school, and more than 5 million children have benefited from an improved learning environment.

CAMFED’s comprehensive program addresses the access, retention and completion of education for girls in remote, underserved rural communities. It places girls at the center of a holistic model that acknowledges the broader context of disadvantage in which they live. CAMFED’s model is integrated and embedded within district and school education structures, strengthening the home-school link and building the capacity of those school, community and government structures to support girls through their education and into a secure adulthood.

CAMFED has created a unique virtuous cycle that is expanding support for girls’ education in a sustainable way through CAMA – the CAMFED alumnae association. Pioneered by the first young women to complete secondary school with CAMFED’s support, CAMA harnesses the transformative potential of young women’s leadership. Unique as a constituency of young women from rural areas who are connected across the African continent, and set to grow to a membership of more than 150,000 by 2019 as a direct outcome of our current education programs, CAMA represents an unstoppable new force for change.  

CAMA’s power lies in its institutional, as well as its emotional, infrastructure. Members share huge determination and resilience against a background of rural poverty and marginalization. They are deeply committed to ‘plowing back’ the benefits of their education into their communities and working to break the cycle of poverty for good. Across the five countries in which CAMA is established, its members are now supporting over 500,000 children to attend school each year.

A Unique Lending Approach:

To support themselves, their families, and children in their community, many CAMA members wish to start small businesses after receiving training through CAMFED, and many who already operate small businesses wish to expand them. Kiva loans, funded through Kiva lenders, make it possible for CAMA members to achieve these goals.

CAMFED provides loans to CAMA members without charging financial interest. Instead of paying financial interest, CAMA members pay “social interest” by volunteering in a structured program, which benefits the community and reduces the borrower’s financial burden.

The CAMA members perform many different “social interest” roles. For instance, some CAMA members volunteer as Learner Guides. As Learner Guides, they lead students at their local school through sessions that help them develop critical thinking, problem-solving, leadership, entrepreneurship, and communication skills. They also follow up with students who miss school regularly and work with their families and communities to address the root causes of their truancy and ensure the students continue to attend school. Examples of other “social interest” roles include helping new CAMA members transition from secondary school to safe and secure adulthood as a Transition Guide, mentoring and supporting less experienced entrepreneurs as a Business Guide, and supporting and advocating for early childhood education (ECD) in the community as an ECD Activist. Generally, CAMA borrowers dedicate at least 10 hours per month to their volunteer role while repaying their “social interest” loan.

CAMFED’s Impact:

CAMFED supports girls in 5,745 government partner schools across 146 districts in Zimbabwe, Zambia, Ghana, Tanzania and Malawi to access school, succeed, and become leaders of change in their communities. To date, CAMFED’s programs have supported over 2.6 million children to attend primary and secondary school.

To fully realize the investment in girls’ education, CAMFED’s programs extend past the secondary school level so that young women are assisted to develop agency, financial security and decision-making power. CAMFED works with CAMA to help them pursue diverse pathways after secondary school through a post-school transition program, support for tertiary education, and programs to develop entrepreneurship and leadership skills. Members of CAMA commit to giving back to their communities through philanthropy and volunteer service, creating a virtuous cycle of girls’ education. There are currently over 120,000 CAMA members, with membership expected to reach 150,000 this year.

CAMFED Zimbabwe's Mission Statement

CAMFED envisions a world in which every child is educated, protected, respected and valued, and grows up to turn the tide of poverty.

As the most effective strategy to tackle poverty and inequality, CAMFED multiplies educational opportunities for girls and empowers young women to become leaders of change. Our focus is on girls and young women in rural areas of sub-Saharan Africa. This is where girls face acute disadvantage and where their empowerment will have a transformative impact.

Why Kiva Works With CAMFED Zimbabwe

Kiva supports CAMFED Zimbabwe’s work to help young women from rural impoverished backgrounds start or grow their own businesses. The financial independence of having their own businesses gives these educated young women more agency to determine the future they want, and makes them less vulnerable to economically-motivated urban migration or early marriage. Being part of the CAMA network, the borrowers receive ongoing support from their fellow members while contributing to their communities by repaying the “social interest” on their loans.