Palmis Mikwofinans Sosyal

Faced with socio-political instability and insecurity, Palmis Mikwofinans Sosyal is rallying alongside micro-entrepreneurs who are fighting to keep their businesses afloat. Some, forced to flee their region, have had to start all over again elsewhere.

Economic and social inclusion

Haiti

Supporting vulnerable populations toward self-sufficiency

In Haiti, shaken by political crises, gang violence, and climate hazards, the economy is struggling to take shape and salaried jobs are scarce. To survive, the most vulnerable start out with next to nothing: a fruit stall, a sewing workshop, a street restaurant, etc. But to develop their business and turn it into a real lever against poverty, they sorely lack training and capital.

In 2003, Entrepreneurs du Monde created Palmis Mikwofinans Sosyal (PMS), a microfinance institution with a strong social mission, to support these micro-entrepreneurs. While 80% of microfinance institutions have left the country in the last three years due to the crisis, PMS is one of five still active today.

The team gives vulnerable entrepreneurs access to:

an individual savings account
loans without collateral or guarantees
training in management and sales, health, agriculture and the environment, protection of women and children, etc.
social support to resolve specific difficulties (health, schooling, family problems, obtaining identification documents, etc.).

In addition to developing income-generating activities, the loans are used to purchase a solar lighting kit and/or a modern cooking stove from Palmis Enèji, the second social enterprise created by Entrepreneurs du Monde in Haiti.

Today, PMS has four local branches in Port-au-Prince, in the southwest and in the center of the country.

A population struggling with political instability, insecurity, and the effects of climate change

Violence and political instability reached critical levels in 2024. Hopes raised by possible UN intervention and the establishment of a Transitional Presidential Council remain fragile, given the complexity of restoring national institutions to functioning order.

Approximately 700,000 people have fled the capital for the provinces or abroad. The country has also been severely affected by the effects of climate change, including floods, landslides, and tornadoes in Bassin-Bleu. Food security is now among the most precarious in the world.

In this context, access to social microfinance services and energy is essential to enable Haitians to make a living from their agricultural and commercial activities.

A resourceful team to overcome obstacles

The PMS team has demonstrated remarkable adaptability in response to the situation. In 2024, it merged several agencies to optimize their operations and closed one of them that was located in a high-risk area. It plans to open a fifth agency in Grand'Anse, a quiet area, to extend its services to a larger number of people.

8 989 beneficiaries
78 % are women
+36 % increase in net monthly income after 1-2 years

Testimonial

Thanks to PMS, Marie Maude Compère Joseph, a former nurse, has become an independent entrepreneur and ensures her family’s financial security.

portrait d'une bénéficiaire de Palmis Mikwofinans Sosyal, dans sa boutique

After working as a nurse, I opened a soft drink warehouse to ensure a better future for my family and gradually diversified my business. With loans from PMS, I expanded my inventory and structured my business. Thanks to training, I learned how to better manage my money, calculate my profits, and plan my investments. Now I am financing my daughter's education and ensuring my family's financial security. PMS has helped me achieve a financial stability that I never had before.

Marie Maude Compère Joseph