I'm excited to announce a new Kiva Field Partner - Credicomun - our third active partner in Mexico. Credicomun posted its first (of many!) loans this morning here.
Credicomun is based out of Mexico City and has 17 branches throughout the country. The organization is less than 5 years old but has grown rapidly in that time. They work mostly in rural areas through the village banking methodology (group loans), and their average loan size is quite small for Mexico, at about $400. The organization has a strong focus on social performance, and they are currently rolling out a financial education program that will be offered to all their clients in conjunction with the loan. Particularly impressive is the strong focus throughout the organization (from loan officers to the board) on not over-indebting clients - a huge problem in Mexico.
One of the most interesting features of this organization is their focus on technology. The organization has one of the most developed technology departments I have ever seen. They are starting to roll out mobile devices to their loan officers so they can capture loan data instantaneously and track it in their system (they plan to track social data this way as well). They are always trying to find ways to make their work more efficient through technology.
Please join us in welcoming Credicomun to the Kiva community!
