ADICLA (Association for the Holistic Development of the Basin of Lake Atitlán) is a nonprofit rural community development association founded in 1993 by community leaders to help people in the two poorest regions of Guatamala: Sololá and Suchitepequez.
The association aims to holistically develop these communities by facilitating economic, social and environmental opportunities. The end goal is to improve the quality of life in poor regions, often populated by indigenous groups who have had little to no access to financial services.
ADICLA’s loan program disburses and collects on small loans through three different lending channels: individual loans, solidarity group loans, and loans for larger groups of women.
Kiva's 0% interest capital will help ADICLA launch three new lending initiatives:
Loans for youth entrepreneurs - These loans enable young people without prior credit histories to borrow in groups. In particular, the loans will help them start businesses from scratch.
Green loan - These loans will fund a number of environmentally-friendly activities, including the purchase and installation of solar panels, green community tourism projects, and reforestation.
Down-market loans - These are smaller loans tailored to poorer borrowers. ADICLA plans to focus more on poverty alleviation by expanding its women’s village banking network and tracking borrower poverty indicators.
Help the populations of Sololá and Suchitepequez. Make a loan to an ADICLA borrower today!
Have questions about Kiva's partnership with ADICLA? Send them our way at blog@kiva.org.
Images courtesy of ADICLA.
