SAFARICOM FOUNDATION

MICRO LOAN FUND

It is a micro lending Fund for Kenyans disbursed through Safaricom Foundation’s partners – Junior Achievement Kenya (JA) and Hand in Hand Eastern Africa (HiHEA) who have experience in group mobilization, business training and provision of access to micro credit. The Fund is available to individuals and community groups/alumni that do not have access to credit, including young people out of school.

How it Works

1. Safaricom Foundation is providing the Micro Loan Fund: The Empowerment loan fund to Junior Achievement and Hand in Hand Eastern Africa as a revolving fund to benefit as many Kenyans as possible.
2. The two partners will mobilize members in their communities or institutions to form groups or alumni.
3. The two partners will train their members on group formation, resource and saving mobilization, business development, financial management and business management
4. Once trained the members will identify a business idea for funding then apply for loan from the Micro Loan Fund: The Empowerment Fund. Their members will be the guarantors.
5. Approved members will be issued with the Micro Loan Fund: The Empowerment loan to start their businesses
6. The interest rate charged by Junior Achievement Kenya will be 10% while Hand in Hand Eastern Africa will be 15%. The interest is charged on a reducing balance
7. The interest will cover the cost of monitoring the performance of the loans, refresher training on business management, and continuously exposing the loan recipients to learning opportunities aimed at improving their business performance. Members will repay the loan to partners for a period of between 3 – 24 months as agreed at the time of application.
8. Over time, members will graduate to receive higher amounts of Micro Loan Fund: The Empowerment funding up to a maximum of Kshs. 30,000.00 (Hand in Hand Eastern Africa) and up to 200,000.00 (Junior Achievement Kenya).

Hand in Hand Eastern Africa and Junior Achievement Kenya:

• Are registered with the relevant government authority
• Have a strong governance structure in place
• Have demonstrated capacity to manage the fund (as incubation fund for businesses) in a sustainable and accountable manner.
• Have capacity to mobilize community members – either groups, alumni or individuals with interest to run businesses
• Have all the required application forms, clear eligibility criteria, terms and conditions
• Have capacity to train members on financial literacy/entrepreneurship
• Have competences in provision and management of credit to the populations who do not have access to credit.

The loan applicants will be:

1. Kenyans aged 18 and above.
2. In possession of national ID or passport
3. Willing to undergo financial literacy/entrepreneurship training for up to 6 months
4. Be a member or interested to be a member of a community group (Hand in Hand Eastern Africa) or as an individual or join an alumni
5. Guaranteed by group members/alumni to access the funds
6. Demonstrate a viable business idea
7. Have keen interest in establishing and running a business