I have been working with ADIM in Nicaragua for just over one month now, enough time to get a pretty advanced rough picture of how this organization works. It has been an interesting four weeks, the first two of which found me frantically trying to keep up with the high-speed pace and lively Spanish chatter of Javier Flores, the organization’s Credit Manager, who is also responsible for managing much of ADIM’s relationship with Kiva. I also found myself with a bit much downtime, which, ironically, stressed me out since I had so much to do during the three months I would be in Nicaragua. We had a partnership to cultivate, after all.
Although I have found that the Latin reputation for leading a slower pace of life (both personally and professionally) does apply generally to Nicaragua, it does not hold true in this particular case; rather, ADIM is a very small organization, and it was in the middle of planning/budget season, so I guess I just happened to arrived at an especially busy time. The biggest challenge was getting the ball rolling. And now, thankfully, it has.
A few stats on ADIM:
- ~40 employees
- 8 branch offices
- ~$500,000 gross loan portfolio
- ~$170 average loan size
- Serves 90% women, both individual and group loans
- Currently has a 3-star rating on Kiva and hoping to go from pilot to active very soon
- Smallest member of ASOMIF (Nicaraguan Association of Microfinance Institutions)
Overall, ADIM is a very pretty and put together organization. In my time here, I have observed high levels of camaraderie, a genuine interest in helping fellow Nicaraguans, and excellent work ethic. Even peer organizations have noted the charm and virtue of ADIM.
I have more recently been spending the majority of my days in the branch office in Masaya, where most of the Kiva magic happens. Most of ADIM’s Kiva loans are disbursed through this branch, and ADIM plans to channel all Kiva funds through here in the near future. Branch Manager María Violeta Perez Muñoz (Violeta), in collaboration with Javier, is credited with managing a lot of the Kiva process. Check out the video of the Masaya office below.
'You can find more information on ADIM and its fundraising loans by clicking here.
Join Team Nicaragua by clicking here while you’re at it!
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