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Ishaka is a Microfinance Institution whose primary activity is collecting savings and providing credit services to clients in rural areas. Its approach includes joint-liability groups, which serve as the fundamental tool for access to financial services for the most disadvantaged, particularly in rural settings. The provinces where Ishaka operates—Bururi, Rumonge, and Makamba—are essentially agricultural.
Burundi is a small, landlocked, and densely populated country. Agriculture employs 90% of the population and contributes 40% to the national GDP. Arable land is becoming increasingly scarce. Under these conditions, poverty is primarily rural (71.1%) and particularly affects smallholder farmers.
Ishaka facilitates access to financial services for a portion of the rural population in Burundi’s southern provinces and in the economic capital (Bujumbura) for nearly 3,500 borrowers and 18,000 savers.
