A leading microfinance organization in Pakistan, Kashf Foundation was inspired by Grameen Foundation and targets low-income women. From its inception in 2006, it has placed a high value on client satisfaction and protection principles. Today, it has dozens of branches in the Punjab and Sindh provinces of the country with a portfolio exceeding $29 million, and more than 260,000 active clients.
Kashf is recognized as a pioneer in offering diverse products and services tailored to meet the unique needs of its customer base and for targeting women from low-income communities. These
products include:
General loans: Group loans, allowing groups of 25 women to insure each other against default.
Emergency loans: Designed to support clients during financially volatile periods. Clients use these loans to pay children’s school fees, utility bills and other unplanned expenditures.
Home improvement loans: Help increase the asset value of clients’ homes and improve their living conditions and often help generate additional income.
Business Surmaya loans: Tailored for fast-moving small entrepreneurs who lack collateral. These loans are smaller -- 500,000 rupees (about $5,300) -- than the smallest loan available through a commercial bank.
Insurance: These policies are provided to clients and their spouses at a minimal premium, and cover outstanding loan balances plus a small burial payout.
Financial education: Basic financial literacy training that teaches the basics of borrowing, debt management, savings and client rights, is delivered prior to the disbursement of loans. Workshops and certification courses dive deeper into saving, budgeting and financial transactions.
Kiva shares Kashf’s belief that access to financial services is a basic human right. Kiva's interest free capital will go toward expanding economic opportunities for the poor, helping more clients realize their potential and overcome barriers of poverty in Pakistan.
Have questions about our partnership with Kashf? Send them our way at blog@kiva.org.
