Increasing access to financial services for poor entrepreneurs and households
ACDI/VOCA won a subaward from the USAID-funded Generating Economic Development through Microfinance in Southern Sudan (GEMSS) FIELD Leaders With Associates (LWA) Program. AED was the prime implementer of the FIELD LWA, which worked to increase access to financial services in Southern Sudan for poor entrepreneurs and households.
At the time of the project, there were three microfinance institutions, a microfinance association, and a newly established currency in Southern Sudan. Nonetheless, the financial sector was hampered by low technical and managerial capacity, insufficient resources, and inadequate physical or legal infrastructure.
Strengthening the sector to meet underserved client demand allowed the microfinance sector to play an important role in rebuilding the region, helping microenterprises to grow and meet Southern Sudanese expectations for concrete benefits to peace.
