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 - July 2020

Kiva has been in contact with FAPE to understand how we can best support their business and borrowers during the ever-evolving COVID-19 pandemic. We continue to prioritize the safety and well-being of all staff, borrowers and their families as this global pandemic continues.

While country-specific responses to the crisis vary, most governments have imposed curfews, travel restrictions, and nation-wide shutdowns. Guatemala has imposed temporary moratoriums on loan payments, affecting not only microfinance, but the economy as a whole. 

As a result, borrowers and FAPE may experience difficulty making and collecting loan repayments due to the aforementioned restrictions or fallout effects of the virus. Over the coming months, it’s possible that lenders will see a delay in repayments and new loans posted by FAPE. As an impact-first funder, Kiva is committed to serving our Lending Partners, as in past crises. We are sympathetic to temporary increases in repayment delays and delinquency in order to help Lending Partners and borrower communities recover. 

Kiva is working closely with FAPE to support them and their borrowers through the COVID-19 crisis. FAPE is sending regular updates to Kiva, and we'll update Partner Pages as we learn more. 

On behalf of Kiva and FAPE, we’re grateful for your continued support through this difficult time. 

Status Update - June 11, 2018

On June 3rd, Volcan Fuego in Guatemala erupted sending pyroclastic flows down its south-eastern slopes which engulfed several villages such as San Miguel de Los Lotes and El Rodeo. More than 100 people have lost their lives and more than 200 are still missing as search & rescue efforts are on-going amidst renewed volcanic activity emanating from Fuego. 4,000 people have also been evacuated. We have contacted our partners in Guatemala and both field staff and their families are safe. Our partners are in the process of contacting their clients to ascertain the gravity of the situation and initiate disaster relief activities. We will be in touch with our partners to assess how best we can help their borrowers recover in the event some of them have been affected. 

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FAPE, the Foundation for the Assistance of Small Businesses, is a nonprofit, socially-minded institution founded on November 29, 1984. The microcredit arm of FAPE was established on March 6, 1986 to achieve FAPE´s principle objective of providing small monetary loans to micro-entrepreneurs around Guatemala. FAPE has one central office in Guatemala City and serves over 3,300 clients.

FAPE´s vision is to be a leader in the Guatemalan microfinance sector while maintaining its core principles and values – providing attention to the entrepreneurs it serves through credit, technical assistance, business training and auxiliary services to improve its clients’ lives. Through its work and by the hand of God, FAPE hopes to see communities positively impacted and poverty alleviated in the areas it serves.

Mission

To stimulate the development of micro-entrepreneurs, small business owners and their communities through financial services, training, and Christian orientation – all provided with personalized attention.

Services

FAPE offers credit and financial services principally to women and to individuals below the poverty line, especially those who work in the agriculture, manufacturing, commerce and service industries. It also offers technical assistance and training in business management as a way of supporting the holistic development of the small business entrepreneur in Guatemala. FAPE also offers free medical services to its clients as well as insurance plans that cover debt balances, hospitalization costs and funerary services.

FAPE offers three principal loan products: Individual Loans, Solidarity Groups, and Village Banks, of which village banking is FAPE´s primary loan product, which serves the vast majority of its clients. FAPE operates in 26 towns in three departments around Guatemala City (Villa Nueva, Sacatepéquez, and Chimaltenango).

If you’d like to learn more about FAPE please watch this short video:

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Status Update - January 14, 2010

Kiva became aware of FAPE’s high delinquency rate on Kiva a few months ago, when FAPE’s spike in delinquency was due to some problems FAPE had reporting repayments to Kiva. However, after those problems were resolved, FAPE’s delinquency rate on Kiva remained high due to the difficulty some Kiva entrepreneurs have experienced in repaying their loans as a result of the global economic crisis. 

However, Kiva does not consider most of these loans to be “at risk” because, though they are delinquent, most are delinquent by less than 30 days. Typically, in microfinance, loans are only considered “at risk” if delinquent for more than 30 days.

Status Update - October 27, 2009

Kiva is aware of the high delinquency rate for FAPE. This has been caused by a reporting error, so the delinquency rate for FAPE is overstated. We are currently working with FAPE staff to resolve the problem. We apologize for the inconvenience.