NamasteDirect ~ Ending Poverty One Loan at a Time

NamasteDirect Partners NamasteDirect works with well-established partner organizations in Guatemala and Mexico to ensure that our local efforts are conducted in a professional manner by people on the ground who are knowledgeable about and sensitive to the culture and customs.
	FAPE (Fundación de Asistencia para Pequeña Empresa) Guatemala City, Guatemala Number of clients: 3,300 (92% women) Outstanding loans: $453,000 Staff: 33 Director: Sergio Gonzales Started in 1984, FAPE supports microenterprise development in rural communities in Guatemala. The organization's methodology is primarily group lending through a model called Bancos de Mujeres de Confianza (Banks of Trustworthy Women). Recently, FAPE has also started offering basic business education to each microcredit borrower. The FAPE staff is a dedicated and heartfelt team that works hard toward toward their mission of helping families rise out of poverty.

	Edubanco (Care) Chichicastenango, Guatemala Number of clients: 1,695 (100% women) Outstanding loans: $668,664 Director: Luis Gaitan The EDUBANCO project provides microcredit loans and seeks to support elementary education for borrowers' children. Women receive discounts on loan interest if their daughters remain in school. This project seeks to empower women and their daughters simultaneously by supporting women's economic opportunities and girl's education, helping to address the education gender gap in Guatemala. CARE collaborates with the Ministry of Education, local partners, teachers and associations in implementing education reform and strengthening the quality of primary education.

	Fundacion Raiz Guatemala City Number of clients: 27,000 Staff: 332 Outstanding Loans: $26 million Director: David Morales Fundacion Raiz is a far-flung MFI with 27,000 clients served out of 26 branch offices. Raiz was started in Xela 10 years ago and for their first 5 years focused on individual loans, primarily to small farmers. In the last few years they have expanded into smaller loans to women in group settings, both community banks and solidarity groups. The percentage of loans to women has climbed from virtually zero to now 60% and continuing to grow.

	AlSol San Cristobal de las Casas, Mexico Number of clients: 14,020 (100% Women) Outstanding loans: $2,400,000 Staff: 34 Director: Katia Corroy Since 1998, AlSol has been working to provide financial and social services to the poorest women in the state of Chiapas so that these women and their families can improve their standard of living. AlSol follows the Grameen methodology and makes its loans to solidarity groups of three to five women. Using an integrative approach, AlSol aims to address various facets of extreme poverty, including lack of capital, illiteracy and malnutrition. In addition to its microcredit program, AlSol offers educational programs for microcredit borrowers and nutrition programs for their children.

	Friendship Bridge Panajachel, Guatemala Number of clients: 14,460 (100% women) Outstanding loans: $3,300,000 Staff: 60 Director: Cristian Shoemaker Working in Guatemala since 1998, Friendship Bridge is committed to reaching the poorest areas of rural Guatemala and providing credit and education to women (primarily Mayan). Topics on business development, self esteem, and women's health are delivered through regularly scheduled repay meetings. In addition, in an effort to support clients desires to enable their children's education, Friendship Bridge offers scholarships and school supplies to thousands of children, and operates a children's learning center in the remote village of Nebaj.

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