Where We Work

Freedom from Hunger is best known for our innovative and effective Credit with Education service—now operating in 15 of the world’s poorest countries. However, we are working with partners in three additional countries on strategies best suited to meet our partners’ needs and our opportunities for bringing effective programs to very poor women and their families.

| Bénin | Bolivia | Burkina Faso | Ecuador | Ghana | Guatemala | Haiti | Honduras | Madagascar | Mali | Mexico | Peru | The Philippines | Senegal | Togo |


Benin

In 2000, Freedom from Hunger began a partnership with FECECAM (Federation of Agricultural Savings and Credit Unions), a credit union network in Benin that accepts deposits of money and provides loans to individuals. With technical assistance from Freedom from Hunger, FECECAM is now offering Credit with Education to over 4,700 poor Beninese women. As of March 31, 2005, this program had an outstanding loan portfolio of US $606,725, with more than US $14 million loaned and repaid to date.


Bolivia

Since 1990, Freedom from Hunger's local partner, CRECER (Crédito con Educación Rural), has offered Credit with Education to over 57,000 participants who have saved more than US $3.2 million. In September 2004, the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB) recognized CRECER with an award for the best "unregulated" microfinance institution of the year in the Americas. CRECER is now one of the largest and most rural microfinance institutions in the region. As of March 31, 2005, this program had an outstanding loan portfolio of US $8.6 million and is covering over 133 percent of its operating costs.
Bolivia Virtual Tour


Burkina Faso

Freedom from Hunger’s partner, the FCPB (the Fédération des Caisses Populaires du Burkina Faso), is a large credit union network with branches in six regions of Burkina Faso. Currently, the FCPB provides Credit with Education to over 57,200 clients and continues to expand into new regions. As of March 31, 2005, the amount of outstanding loans was over US $2.5 million, with more than US $22 million loaned and repaid to date.
Burkina Faso Virtual Tour


Ecuador

In July 2004, Freedom from Hunger expanded its range of partners by forming a strategic alliance with Fundación ESPOIR, an Ecuadorian NGO, helping deliver Credit with Education to women in rural areas of the country. This agreement will launch a significant expansion of Freedom from Hunger's services in Ecuador. Membership among our four partners includes nearly 13,000 clients. As of March 31, 2005, Credit with Education members borrowed a total of US $3,040,680 in loans and have saved nearly US $650,000.


Ghana

Our local partner, Freedom from Hunger/Ghana, became an independent organization in 1998. Freedom from Hunger and Freedom from Hunger/Ghana, along with 10 Rural Banks, have formed the largest banking network in the country, serving nearly 21,000 poor women. Freedom from Hunger and Freedom from Hunger/Ghana intend to pursue the dual focus of reaching very poor clients with demand-driven, sustainable financial services, and increasing scale through expanding the outreach of Rural Banks in Ghana.
Ghana Virtual Tour


Guatemala

In the year 2000, Freedom from Hunger and FUNDAP (Fundación Para el Desarrollo Integral de Programas Socioeconómicos) partnered to bring Credit with Education to poor families in the Totonicapan region of Guatemala. FUNDAP is a Guatemalan nonprofit private development organization that runs a village banking program called Mujer y Trabajo ('Women and Work'). Freedom from Hunger provides health and business education materials to the Mujer y Trabajo microcredit program. As of March 31, 2005, over 10,500 Guatemalan women and their families were benefiting from Credit with Education.


Haiti

Since 1999, Freedom from Hunger has partnered with the Haitian organization ACLAM (Action Contre La Misère), based in Port-au-Prince and offering programs, including Credit with Education, to support self-help in four rural regions of Haiti. In the aftermath of the tragic earthquake of January 12, 2010, Freedom from Hunger is raising money to enable ACLAM to rebuild capacity to act quickly to support the relief and recovery of the women, families and communities ACLAM has been serving.
Haiti Virtual Tour


Honduras

Started in 1990 and currently run by a Honduran organization, FAMA (Familia y Medio Ambiente), this Credit with Education program has 595 Credit Associations providing credit and health education to over 12,600 women.


Madagascar

Supported by a United Nations microenterprise development program, Freedom from Hunger works with a number of local organizations in Madagascar, including Haingonala, OTIV, Tiavo and Vola Mahasola. Credit with Education is making a positive impact in the lives of over 8,000 poor women and their families. As of March 31, 2005, this program had an outstanding loan portfolio of US $300,881 with more than US $3.3 million loaned and repaid to date. Madagascar Virtual Tour


Mali

Credit with Education was brought to Mali nearly a decade ago. In 2001, Freedom from Hunger completed an analysis of Mali’s Credit with Education program. The purpose of the study was to verify that our hunger-fighting program is, in fact, reaching those who are food-insecure. The results confirm that Credit with Education remains true to its intended goal, as 87 percent of the families involved in the program experience some level of food insecurity. Other programs that offer microcredit services for the poor have tested their outreach to find that less than 10 percent of the program participants actually qualify as being poor. Credit with Education in Mali serves over 9,200 women, who have an outstanding loan portfolio of over US $1.8 million. Mali Virtual Tour


Mexico

In 2005, Freedom from Hunger established Alcance Mexico (Reach Mexico), an independent Mexican organization. Alcance's mission is to collaborate with Mexican institutions to support the efforts of poor women to build futures of health, hope and dignity. Together we are creating sustainable solutions to provide large numbers of women with information and financial services they need to improve their lives.


Peru

Freedom from Hunger recently received a grant to launch Credit with Education in the departments of Junin and Huancavelica, where poverty is widespread but potential for improvements in economic standing, family food security and, especially, child nutrition, are significant. Local partner organizations have already been identified that are committed to sustainably providing micro-financial services and critical health and nutrition education to 18,000 women (with the benefits reaching an estimated 95,000 family members) and expanding into the future.


The Philippines

With funding from the U.S. Agency for International Development, Freedom from Hunger and the World Council of Credit Unions joined forces to implement a Credit with Education program on the southern Philippines island of Mindanao. Since 1998, Freedom from Hunger has provided technical assistance and training for introducing Credit with Education to 17 credit unions. With 5,180 Credit Associations, and over US $67 million lent to date, our Credit with Education program is making a difference in the lives of over 125,000 families. The Philippines Virtual Tour


Senegal

In Senegal, Freedom from Hunger is partnering the UM-PAMECAS (L'union des Mutuelles du Partenariat pour la Mobilisation de l'Épargne et du Crédit au Sénégal) the regions of Thiès, Louga and Saint-Louis. UM-PAMECAS is a credit union that is already providing microfinance to the poor and approached Freedom from Hunger to help it integrate education into their microfinance programs. Freedom from Hunger will also help UM-PAMECAS launch and manage new Credit with Education programs. With Freedom from Hunger's help, UM-PAMECAS has made a commitment to deliver sustainable, high-quality Credit with Education programs to more than 50,000 women in the near future.


Togo

Credit with Education operations in Togo delivered by our local partner, FUCEC (the Féderation des Unions Coopératives d'Epargne et de Crédit); provides Credit with Education to over 8,600 poor women. As of March 31, 2005, our program in Togo had an outstanding loan portfolio of US $606,725 and over US $14 million lent to date.