INTRODUCTION

What if you were part of a group of women producing flowers to make a living, and you could invest in a solar-powered cold storage facility? It would double your income, simply because you would sell more flower petals for ceremonies at a temple, as they stay longer with low temperatures.

Now, imagine you are a member of a group of four farmers, producing mango, banana or guava, earning hand-to-mouth, barely sufficient to provide for your family. What if you could invest together in a solar-powered drying machine, so part of all your produce could be dried and sold later in the season, or sold for a higher price to shops in nearby villages and cities?

More income means more food and due to better food, your kids can concentrate better at school, or perhaps you can even save for times of bad health. Using solar power means: better for the environment (avoiding pollution) than for example using a diesel engine, and being less dependent on the electricity grid - if there is any. And above all: the sun is for free! Sounds like a good plan?

But...

There's nobody around who wants to lend you the money, because you are part of a community which is poor and has no collateral. And the solar-power technology is too expensive to be paid for with a individual micro credit. Moreover, there's no information availalable on how such a solar-powered cold storage or drying machine works. And above all, there is nobody who believes in you being able to make this work. Now, here is something new for you:

WE DO!

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WHO WE ARE

We are Kula Loans International, "Kula" in Sanskrit means "community of the heart". At Kula Loans International we dare to take the risk to provide loans to groups, willing to invest in solutions which will be beneficial to all members of the group, their families and the well-being of their larger communities. Imagine, others will get familiar with solar powered techniques, and more and more groups will try to increase their income through enterprises like the ones described: a solar powered rickshaw to bring produce to the market, solar powered irrigation, as well as repair shops becoming viable opportunities. Kula Loans International is a foundation that invests in groups of people that want to implement solutions that foster the well-being of their communities.

Kula Loans was founded in 2018 and is based in The Netherlands. We believe that the power of true transformation lies within any community. We also believe communal well-being to be the cornerstone of a thriving society. While traditional microcredit provides small loans to individuals with household businesses, Kula Loans aims at broadening the possibilities by reaching out to groups, and through group enterprises to the entire community. We are providing our loans via local partners.

We cooperate with local partners that share our vision and work according to the following key operational values:

• Character: integrity, reliability, transparency, accountability and altruism.
• Compassion: we want to work with organisations with a "heart" for the poor who are truly embedded in the community.
• Competence: we want to work with organisations that strive for efficiency and accuracy and that value strong communication.

Read more on policies in our mid-term strategic plan:
2022 - 2025 Mid-term strategic plan Kula Loans International

the team

Consisting of a small board and a number of volunteers, Kula Loans International organizational structure is fairly uncomplicated.

Our other volunteers support us with our online communication, content development, fundraising and other activities.

None of the board members or volunteers receive any salary or compensation for their efforts.

 

our partners

Our partners are located in India, Colombia, The Gambia, Bangladesh, Congo (DRC) and Niger and we are planning to expand our partnerships to additional countries shortly.

 

need - india

Our (first) local partner is NEED, with several years of experiences in promoting value based economic cum social enterprises, and 15+ years of operations in education, skill training and value based fast growing non-farm & farm sector. NEED operates in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Uttarakhand and West Bengal (in the north of India), and covers over 6500 villages. Together we envision the poor people residing in the Northern region of India, to raise their standard of living, by empowering them to benefit from the solar power available to them, by investing in collectively owned solar-powered solutions, that increase the well-being of (the larger part of) their communities financially and environmentally sustainable manner.

NEED was founded in 1995 by Anil K. Singh, who started microfinance services in 2005, culminating in him founding NEED Livelihood microfinance in 2015. Anil has been selected for lifelong Ashoka Fellowship in 1998 (Ashoka Fellows are the world's leading social entrepreneurs. They champion innovative new ideas that transform society's systems, providing benefits for everyone and improving the lives of millions of people.)

 

drishtee - india

Drishtee, is missioned to empower communities to achieve shared prosperity. They have a track record of decades of empowering marginalized rural villages by enabling them to create community-led and managed business ecosystems with need-based solutions that demonstrate scalable and sustainable models of growth. Drishtee operates mainly in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Assam in the northern parts of India, and covers over 6000 villages, in 17 states. Together we envision to raise their standard of living in the villages in North India, through investing in and supporting Swavlamban Micro-Enterprise Groups (MEGs) linked to each other in production chains spread across different villages, building a channel for the input-output supply chain that connects the community groups to the market.

Our partner Drishtee was co-founded by Satyan Mishra (currently MD) starting in 2000 as a technology solution providor in rural area's. Satyan was selected for lifelong Ashoka Fellowship in 2004 (Ashoka Fellows are the world's leading social entrepreneurs.) after which he was selected Schwab Social Entrepreneur of the year in 2005, WEF technology pioneer in 2007, and Unesco GAP partner for Education for Sustainable Development in 2016, to name just a few.

 

coimpactob - colombia

Our local partner Coimpactob, an accelerator of triple impact projects in rural communities in Colombia, committed to democratizing sustainable development and financial inclusion to communities in extreme poverty. With 5 years of experience facilitating education and impact entrepreneurship acceleration programs for youth and rural leaders and access to water, solar energy, and sanitation solutions.

Coimpactob operates in the Guajira, a desert region in northern Colombia, composed of indigenous Wayuu communities with difficult geographical conditions, poor infrastructure, lack of access to water, energy, food, and low investment by the government. In the last 3 years, Coimpactob has benefited more than 1000 indigenous families and 5 educational institutions with its acceleration, education, potable water, and solar energy programs with the active participation of more than 20 national and international partners.

 

buzz women - the gambia

Buzz Women Gambia empowers village-based female change agents to grow community-based green ventures, with support of community chests. Ultimately, this collaboration aspires to enable growth of both the village economies as well as the wellbeing of the broader communities they belong to. Since Buzz Women Gambia started (2018) they have supported over 18 thousand women across 6 regions with trainings, empowering them to become entrepreneurs and take ownership of their own personal development and that of the groups they build and work with.

In our partnership with Buzz Women Gambia, we launch green ventures, powered by the enterprising village groups, of empowered Buzz women. We jointly support and invest in them, enabling them as women groups to establish and grow their green village-based ventures.

 

assit (association internationale tujenge) - drc

ASSIT is missioned to promote a just and equitable society in the Democratic Republic of Congo, aiming to reduce poverty in all its forms. It focusses on the improvement of socio-economic conditions for vulnerable women and girls. Strengthen women’s and girls’ capacities for leadership en encouraging local entrepreneurship. To do this, ASSIT has established a network of AVEC (=Association des Femmes Villageoises) groups. These are women groups that come together, save together, and from the total saving amount give individual loans to members of the group.

ASSIT has championed this powerful approach in the Southern parts of DRC and takes an holistic approach to beating poverty. They also survey the perception of female leadership in secondary schools, support underage girls in emergency, harvest seed products to support agricultural development, equip a training centre and develop training modules on female leadership. They are true supporters of community-led self-development.

 

center for rural service society - bangladesh

The Center for Rural Service Society (CRSS) is a community-based, non-governmental, and non-political organization founded in 2001. Since then, it has been dedicated to improving the socio-economic conditions of people living in slum and rural areas, with a special focus on women from disadvantaged backgrounds in the most remote and underserved regions.

CRSS aims to fight poverty by empowering women and promoting gender equality. The organization employs a range of strategies that target individuals, groups, and entire communities, helping women engage in economically productive activities. CRSS believes that the family is the cornerstone of society, built on mutual respect, equal rights, and shared responsibilities between men and women. By empowering women, the organization helps bring positive change to both families and communities.

By providing women access to income-generating opportunities, CRSS has seen improvements in education, healthcare, and overall well-being for families, especially children. As a result, these women are able to participate more actively in their families and contribute to broader community development efforts.

 

bangladesh association for sustainable development - bangladesh

Bangladesh Association for Sustainable Development (BASD) is a non-governmental, non-profit organization dedicated to alleviating human suffering, reducing poverty, and promoting peace and justice. It works closely with both rural and urban communities, focusing on improving social, educational, economic, environmental, and health conditions. BASD is committed to empowering communities to develop their own unique paths to progress, rooted in strong values and self-reliance.

The organization leads a wide range of development initiatives, including:

• Climate resilience through permaculture and eco-village design
• Disaster preparedness and climate change adaptation techniques
• Women’s empowerment and capacity building for livelihoods, food security, and improved living conditions
• Skill development for school dropouts, unemployed youth, and vulnerable individuals
• Microcredit services for poor and marginalized women and low-income families
• Permaculture education and the creation of sustainable permaculture villages
• Eco-village design education and the establishment of ecovillages

Their mission is to work with the most disadvantaged and vulnerable communities, promoting rights, respect, and justice through sustainable, holistic interventions.

 

potentiel terre - niger

Our partner Potentiel Terre is on a mission to achieve food and financial autonomy for all. Potentiel Terre works to sustainably initiate socio-economic growth in communities with low food coverage rates, low income-generating employment for young people and women, and low access to financing. They have established and are growing a network of independent self-help-groups that come together regularly and save money together. With them they focus on support activities aiming to realize socio-economic inclusion of women and young people - helping them to establish their own agri-food processing activities and realizing environmental protection. Please note that these rural women and youth do not have access to the conventional financing system (Bank and microfinance institution).

Potentiel Terre is leading the efforts to establish the Niger Federation - a Fund for Local Empowerment (decentralized microfinance): the first microfinance fund that will finance self-help and savings/revolving credit groups.

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WHAT WE DO

We provide the revolving funds, and the technical assistance, to invest in community-owned technologies that will increase the well-being of the community. We started with solar-powered technologies in India. The funds provides credits for groups of people, to facilitate access to solar power technology, assistance to groups to set-up social enterprises to run/exploit those solar powered techniques.

Kula applies a group loan and a community chest model, based on the belief that additional capital to the savings of a group of enterpreneurial people in remote or impoverished communities, enables the members of a group to invest in a group-owned solutions that will grow the wellbeing of the larger community.

"The community chest" is a community-owned and self-managed amount of (foreign) capital provided to the members who have pooled their own savings (and/or time investments). The foreign loan amount is pooled with their own (saved) capital and provides investment opportunities for the community as a whole, and to each of the members of the group/community. The Community chest is group-owned, managed by the members, and offers an opportunity for larger loans to the members -as a group- for various activities, at times they need it, for what they decide themselve they need.

The "group loan" is a model made as a step to grow towards a community chest. Groups of entrepreneurial people can take a group loan, to invest in a group-owned solution that will strengthen all of their income-generating activities. Mind you: they do not have to register as a legal entity for this, nor do they have to be(come) a cooperative for this. Think of a group of women who all produce pickled mangos and want to jointly invest in a packaging machine, that can be used by all members of their group, and others from their community. Or a solar-powered engine, shared by a group of farmers from the same village, to irrigate all of their fields.

Here is the assessment tool that we are currently using and improving, to assess the level of readyness of groups that apply for a group-loan or a community chest.
Download the Kula Loans Assessment tool community led group loan request.

programs

need - transitioning to solar - north india

In our partnership with NEED we envision the poor people residing in the Northern region of India, to raise their standard of living, by empowering them to benefit from this solar power available to them, by investing in community- as well as household owned solar-powered solutions, that increase the well-being of (the larger part) of the community in a (self-) sustainable manner.

In the Northern part of India, in the state of Uttar Pradesh, in the Lucknow district, in Gohramau village, in block Kakori, we provided a group-loan to the committee of the village community school, called Samiti. The group-loans was Euro 610, invested in a solar solution on the roof of the school, with which they power the lights, drinking water installation and fans.

On average such a school has around 150-250 girls coming. Girls pay a small fee, and the school committee used to pay electricity bills from the savings of the fees. However, electricity is very erratic, and costs are high. Some amount of their own savings, as well as the loan, are used to invest in the solar solution on the roof. Savings are directly from the cost they used to pay for electricity. The loan is repaid in monthly payments, and is expected to be paid back within 2 years time.

The community has taken the ownership of benefitting from the school for girls facility to the fullest. Not only the girls benefit from education, with lower cost due to savings of electricity bills. Also siblings benefit from play & day care facilities.

drishtee - investing in rural production chains - north india

In our partnership with Drishtee we envision the growth of local economies in the most deprived Northern, North Eastern and Eastern regions of India, through group enterprises that not only generate income for the members, but also increase the well-being of the whole community. We will provide access to knowledge and capital, as well as support to bring the products to market. All the group enterprises we select and support, are connected in a production chain, lifting the local economy to the next level.

In Jansa village of Northern India, Anjana Singh and four of her village mates came together and set up a group owned and managed Micro-Enterprise. The group enterprise supplies fresh and pure Cow Milk to urban customers. Their goal is to become self-reliant as individuals and families and also as a business group. They started in August 2019 and are now gearing up for new product additions. Her income was an equivilant of USD 13, when she started. Currently the income of each group member is USD 25. So, a successful start of the group enterprise.

They have expressed an ambition to grow their business, from 1 product (milk) to 4 or 5 products, think of: cheese, ghee or curd. They anticipate to grow their income to USD 90 / group member. Worth an investment, no? Next to their income, they will grow self-belief, they will boost the village economy, as well as provide fresh and healthy products to urban consumers. A win-win-win.

coimpactob - strengthen local impact entrepreneurship - colombia

In our alliance with Coimpactob we seek to strengthen local impact entrepreneurship that have participated in the acceleration programs and we have identified 2 entrepreneurship in the territory with recurring activities such as sheep breeding and tourism, which will receive training and access to community microcredits.

• Sustainable sheep breeding - Kaula
  Is an enterprise specialized in the sustainable breeding and fattening of sheep and goats. They have revolutionized the traditional way of activity with the use of animal feces to produce organic fertilizer to increase the topsoil of the land. It is led by an association of sheep producers and seeks to generate collaborative networks to generate wealth and opportunities in the region.
  We seek to make this traditional sheep-breeding activity sustainable and to generate alliances between the indigenous communities to open markets and generate economic development in the region. We will be providing financing for animals, infrastructure and inputs for the activity with a payment term of 12 months and the participation of leaders in business training and financial education led by Coimpactob.
  
  
  

  
• Sustainable tourism - Tardes Wayuu
  Is an example of one of the most powerful activities in La Guajira, tourism. We seek to strengthen communities in good practices towards social, environmental, and economic sustainability. Tardes Wayuu is a community and cultural tourism venture that emerged in June 2021 as a result of the impact entrepreneurial leaders program led by Coimpactob. It is composed of 6 entrepreneurs in favor of the Wayuu indigenous communities that offer ethnotourism experiences of the Wayuu culture in an indigenous, cultural, musical and entertainment space designed for national and international tourists and companies.
  They will receive funding for infrastructure in energy, sanitation and utensils for the dining rooms and tourism experience activities for a period of 12 months.
  
  
  

  
• Solar energy - In the region of La Guajira
  98% of the Wayuu indigenous communities do not have access to electricity, water, and sanitation, and the vast majority of the communities are led by women artisans, whose way of life is through weaving. This has inspired us to grant microcredits to access solar panels that will help increase handicraft production, in addition to having access to charge their cell phones and the children of the community will be able to study at night. Thirty-five microcredits will be given to the Kayetamana community, comprising 208 people, 88% of whom are women artisan leaders, with a 2-year repayment period.
  
  
  

  

buzz women - boosting community's productivity - the gambia

Through our collaboration with Buzz Women Kula Loans supports women entrepreneur groups from Gambia in setting up their ventures. For the most part, our support is twofold: financial (we provide funds to kick off the ventures) and convening (through our network of partners, we help make connections and facilitate knowledge exchange).

The choice of venture is decided on by the women groups themselves, in close conversation with Buzz Women, who support them on the ground with a variety of operational challenges. Women groups we supported thus far have engaged in production of healthy foods and organic hygiene products they deemed needed by their communities. Read on for a few examples of typical groups we support in Gambia.

Kerr Ardo and Kandonku Groups

The Kerr Ardo and Kandonku groups made the crucial decision to support their communities by establishing poultry farming. To initiate this venture, they needed to construct the necessary production facilities. The Kandonku group achieved success in setting up their poultry house relatively easily. In contrast, the Kerr Ardo group faced significant challenges due to a lack of electricity. Nevertheless, they persevered and completed the construction of their poultry house.

Despite this achievement, a new obstacle emerged: a lack of adequate knowledge in poultry management. Recognizing this gap, Buzz Women stepped in to provide essential training. They discovered that, in addition to the internal training, the communities required reminders of fundamental poultry management practices. Buzz Women offered the Kerr Ardo group valuable lessons on the construction and maintenance of poultry houses, while the Kandonku group shared their hands-on experience. This collaboration was vital, especially given the geographical distance between the two groups.

As a result of this teamwork, both groups have successfully established poultry houses that feature ample space for chicks to move freely, maintain high standards of hygiene, and ensure proper air circulation—significantly reducing chick mortality rates within the facilities.

Arankon Group

The Arankon Group ventured into organic soap production to provide their community with a soap alternative free of harmful chemicals. They have been working hard to obtain the relevant training and implement the required steps of the production process to start their soap making business. With the support from our partner Buzz Women, women from the Arankon community have undergone a two-day training on soap making, and after two weeks of soap lathering, those soaps were used as their first sales shipment, which they sold out in no time. A successful kick off for Arankon group that needed to be maintained as they continued with their operations. For example, to keep their venture up and running, this group also must deal with the challenge of electricity shortages, a common challenge Gambian entrepreneur groups we support are facing.

Equipping these resourceful groups with renewable sources of energy for the operational needs of their ventures (think of the abundant solar energy, for example) is one of the next key steps we are investigating as we support these women entrepreneurs on their quest of bettering the wellbeing of their communities.

assit - green & clean village ventures - drc

The DRC is considered to be one of the 5 poorest countries in the world, and an estimated 74.6% of Congolese people lived on less than USD 2.15 a day in 2023, according to the World Bank. We want to contribute to changing this, with our programming in partnership with ASSIT. Together with ASSIT we provide access to capital and jointly build capacity of AVEC (=Association des Femmes Villageoises) groups in the network of ASSIT, in the South of DRC. AVEC groups are independent women self-help-groups who are financially literate and have developed healthy saving behaviour. We jointly aim to ignite a movement and growth of community-led self-development. One of the bigger issues in the region is limited access to clean water, due to which there is a high prevelance of water-born diseases in the communities.

Together in our joint programming, we are addressing the critical issue of water scarcity and clean environment, as well as growing income-generating activities of the groups - launching village-based ‘green & clean’ ventures. The first few AVEC groups are for example establishing community-managed clean water supply systems and composting & recycling village ventures in South Kivu. The program empowers local women groups through economic opportunities (for the community) and improved access to safe drinking water and better living environment, thereby fostering resilience in the face of environmental challenges.

We have a joint investment facility for their village-based community-ventures. All investments made are done by partly their own savings and with additional capital from Kula. Like this one to provide safe and reliable access to clean water for communities in Walungu and Kabare territories. It ensures income-generation, sustainable management and maintenance of water sources. The women saving group ‘owns’ the clean water facility, while the other community members have contributed to the building of the installation. The community has access to clean water, and the AVEC group members ‘run’ the clean water village-venture. We demonstrate the power of these community-ventures, to the other AVEC groups, and encourage other female agents of change to take agency and bring shared prosperity to their community too.

Buvnvikanya & Bololoke Community in Walungu and Kabare territories / AVEC group running composing village venture

Community members building clear water facility

center for rural service society - boosting community's productivity - bangladesh

CRSS is launching an exciting new project with the support of Kula Loans. The investment will allow the community to purchase a power tiller, enabling them to cultivate their land without having to rely on renting equipment from outside sources. While the demand for the power tiller is high, it will still meet around 30% of the community’s needs, offering a significant boost in productivity.

Once the loan is repaid, ownership of the power tiller will transfer to the community, creating long-term benefits. This project is part of CRSS’s broader goal to improve the standard of living in remote areas through financial inclusion and economic empowerment. Specifically, CRSS promotes the concept of community chests—a facility where local partners contribute to a revolving fund. This fund allows local change-makers to invest in projects that generate income and improve the overall well-being of their communities.

bangladesh association for sustainable development - empowering women through the GMWSP project - bangladesh

BASD is leading transformative projects in southern Bangladesh, focusing on empowering vulnerable women through individual and self-help group (SHG) approaches. These initiatives aim to create meaningful change in their lives.

In partnership with BASD, we are launching the Green Movement Water Solution Plant (GMWSP) Project, which will establish a community-owned water facility. This project will engage 125 women, who will collectively manage the installation and gain ownership once the investment is repaid. The repaid funds will be reinvested by the same or a new group of women, allowing them to decide on future community-benefiting projects. The target village, Uttar Haldibunia in Chila Union, lies in a climate-vulnerable zone that faces frequent disasters such as floods, cyclones, tidal surges, and salinity intrusion, making this initiative crucial for building community resilience.

potentiel terre - boosting community's productivity - niger

In our collaboration with Potentiel Terre we envision a growth path to financial autonomy of the network of independent self-help-groups. We jointly empower them with a next step in their entrepreneurial journey moving from household micro enterprise to a joint village-based food or sanitation venture. Whereas their own micro household income generating activity allows them to contribute to family income and the self-help-groups is their safe place to take agency and start saving.

Our capital for the self-managed community chest, on top of their own joint savings, allows them to grow their joint village-based food processing activities. It offers them a window of opportunity to invest together in machines and equipment to grow their village food venture. Machines that none of them alone, individually would be able to invest in.

Like the KOKARI self-help-group in Siniguinde. They extract oil from peanuts to make peanut paste and peanut cakes. 25 women have put an equivalent of USD 3000 aside and want to jointly invest in machines like a dryer, a roaster, a huller, a mixer and a press. With the Kula capital that doubles their savings, they can do so!

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WHY WE DO IT

At the start of Kula Loans, we focussed on rural communities in the poorest districts of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, the poorest and socio-economically most backward states in India, the second lowest in terms of a composite Human Development Index. Approximately 47% of the state population lives below the poverty line and, according World Bank estimates, 10% of the world's poor live in these states.

Ultimately, we aim to raise the standard of living of the communities in the countries we support through:

• improved livelihood
• better environment
• healthier living

But...

There's something else to it too. Kula Loans is just a start - a pilot project so to say -. We want to start here, and share all our learnings, approaches and how-to's with others. With everybody who is interested to do the same, through our online global movement "Credits for Communities" (coming soon, stay tuned!). Because, if others follow suit, we can really scale impact and make a difference.

Each destination is reached by taking the first step. Do you dare to take it with us?

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HOW WE DO IT

Kula Loans is a foundation managed by professionals, united by their passion to reduce poverty; They all provide their time, expertise and network for free, to assure that each donated euro will directly go to the communities we support.

We always work through local partners, either Non-Gouvernemental Organisations (NGO's) or Microfinance Institutions (MFI's) that have long established trust-based relations with the local communities. Our partners get their cost compensation from the interest the groups pay. We select our partners based on the following selection criteria:

1. Each loan from the fund aims to increase wellbeing at large
2. Revolving fund is only disbursing loans to (social) ventures that are:
   • Generating income / have a sustainable business model,
   • Contributing to well-being (in the broadest way, including but not limited to Water, Sanitation, Hygiene (WASH),
   • Environmentally sustainable and
   • Empowering
3. Operating area of partner is in the poorest region of the country/sea, or partner is committed to dedicate the revolving fund to the poorest-of-the-poor
4. Credits/Fund for loans for communities is new to the partners
5. After repayment of the loan(s) the "invested/implemented" technologies are owned by the group that took the loan
6. Partners have a proven track record of capacity building and Technical Assistence (TA) to communities
7. Willingness and active contribution to open-source sharing of learnings
8. Partner is committed to manage a sustainable revolving fund
9. No criminal records of Board members, no extreme pay for CEO's, low overhead, high integrity of director (and/or founder)

 

annual reports

Our 2023 annual report can be downloaded here (PDF format).
Download 2023 Annual report Kula Loans international

Our 2022 annual report can be downloaded here (PDF format).
Download 2022 Annual report Kula Loans international

Our 2021 annual report can be downloaded here (PDF format).
Download 2021 Annual report Kula Loans international

Our 2020 annual report can be downloaded here (PDF format).
Download 2020 Annual report Kula Loans international

Our first financial year covers the period from October 2018 to 31 December 2019 and can be downloaded here (PDF format).
Download 2019 Annual report Kula Loans international

anbi status

Kula Loans International has been granted the ANBI status (ANBI = "Algemeen Nut Beogende Instelling", a Dutch not-for-profit foundation aiming to create benefits for the society as a whole) on 10th of October 2018. Our registration number is: 859247302.

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DONATIONS

Currently we are looking for three things:

• a philanthropist interested to join the Board of Kula Loans International -preferably a seasoned entrepreneur
• a leader/group of people who like to start doing the same, somewhere else in the world
• believers who dare to donate!

 

Donations are very welcome at:
Stichting Kula Loans International
IBAN: NL86 RABO 0334 5335 62
Bank Name: Rabobank Nederland
BIC: RABONL2UXXX
Country: The Netherlands (NL)

Alternatively you can use the geef.nl donation platform (supporting iDeal, bank transfer, credit card, paypal payment types) by pressing the folowing link:
CLICK TO DONATE AND SUPPORT KULA LOANS NOW!

We now also support donations via Give for good.

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NEWS

 

New partnership with Potentiel Terre

We’re incredibly excited about our new programming with independent self-help-groups in Niger. In Niger, more than 80% of the population lives in rural areas. According to the World Bank, nearly 50% of the population was in extreme poverty (2020). In 2023, the United Nations estimated that 3 million people would be in a situation of severe acute food insecurity and around 60% of Nigerien families only manage to cover 3 to 5 months of their annual food needs.

That’s why we’re so excited about our new long-term partnership with Potentiel Terre, in which we will jointly support and incubate community-based 'healthy living’ enterprises, ranging from food production to sanitation. Our partner Potentiel Terre offers development support, and we jointly invest from a "revolving fund". The fund provides seed capital for community chests, that are self-managed by these independent and entrepreneurial self-help-groups in Niger. The capital provided into the community chest will be added on top of joint savings of the self-help-group. The groups has of course jointly decided to invest it in their healthy food-producing venture.

Like the Group called AMANA in Tangakoira village. These 21 women want to make soumbal (mari-bi) from sorrel seed. It created 4 jobs for young people. They invest an equivalent of USD 3000 from their own, joint savings. Kula doubles the amount which will be invested in a desaler and marinating machines, plus an increased number of bags of sorrel seeds. The value creation of this healthy food stays in the community, incomes of the women in the self-help-group will increase & jobs are created and the villagers have access to healthy food. A tripple win!

 

New partnership with Bangladesh Association for Sustainable Development

We’re thrilled to announce a new collaboration with the Bangladesh Association for Sustainable Development (BASD) to tackle the critical issue of water scarcity in southern Bangladesh. The community faces severe challenges, particularly during the summer, when government-installed rainwater tanks quickly run dry, leaving residents with no choice but to rely on highly polluted river water. This leads to widespread health issues, especially among children, as clean groundwater is inaccessible due to high salinity levels.

In partnership with Kula Loans, BASD will empower 125 women to establish a community-owned water plant. This plant will offer a reliable source of clean drinking water, significantly improving the health and well-being of the local population, while addressing the ongoing crisis of safe water access.

 

New partnership with Center for Rural Service Society

We are excited to announce a new partnership with the Center for Rural Service Society (CRSS) in southern Bangladesh, a region frequently affected by natural disasters like floods, cyclones, and heavy rainfall. The area also faces increasing challenges due to the adverse effects of climate change, impacting human life, agriculture and biodiversity. With support from Kula Loans, CRSS is launching a project that will provide the community with a loan to purchase a power tiller. Once the loan is repaid, the community will take full ownership of the machine, boosting local agriculture and economic resilience.

 

Kula Loans Annual report 2023 online

2023 was a pivotal year for Kula Loans, focused on expanding our community impact. We partnered with Buzz Women Gambia to empower female change agents in promoting green ventures, aiming to enhance village economies and overall community wellbeing. Our collaboration with Drishtee flourished, aligning with our long-term goals, while NEED worked on recovery from the pandemic's effects. CoimpactoB initiated its first loans, providing valuable insights for future programming.

Financially, we maintained stability, prioritizing volunteer engagement before fundraising. Eight new experienced professionals joined our team, preparing us for an ambitious 2024. We launched the Credit for Communities Collective, a global initiative to connect partners and community change-makers, enhancing self-reliance and sustainability.

We extend our gratitude to our sponsors and volunteers for their support, which has enabled us to strengthen relationships and deepen our impact on vulnerable communities. Looking ahead, we are excited to expand into Nepal and Bangladesh and further our global movement. Together, let’s create greater impact and support entrepreneurial communities in 2024!

For stories, our impact and how we do it, download our 2023 Annual report.

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CONTACT

Kula Loans International
Leidseweg 77bis
​3531 BE Utrecht
The Netherlands

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