Who are we?

Entrepreneurs du Monde (“entrepreneurs of the world”) is a non-profit organisation founded in 1998, based in France. We operate in developing countries to enable the poorest families to develop a small economic venture by giving them access to credit, savings, and training.

The situation

In the slums of developing countries, the poorer families have few opportunities to develop small businesses. They have no access to the banking system, and often end up borrowing from moneylenders, at a cost of more than 20% per month. Moreover, as they often have very little education, they cannot apply for jobs in the formal sector and they lack self confidence. However, they all share a strong determination to take action to improve their lives. If given access to a loan, they can open a stall, start a fishmonger's business, or a sewing activity within just a few days – and 95% of them will reimburse that loan.