What is "fonkoze"

Fonkoze is Haiti's largest microfinance institution serving poor and ultra-poor women in rural Haiti, with 46 branches located throughout the country. The name Fonkoze is an acronym for the Haitian Creole phrase “Fondasyon Kole Zepòl” meaning “Shoulder-to-Shoulder Foundation.” Its mission is to build the economic foundations for democracy in Haiti by providing the rural poor with the tools they need to lift themselves out of poverty. It has more than 50,000 borrowers and 250,000 savers, and is divided into three entities:

1. Fonkoze, a Haitian non-profit which pilots new programs and branches that are not-yet sustainable and provides services such as health education and literacy training.
2. Fonkoze Financial Services, a Haitian financial institution which operates most of Fonkoze's financial services portfolio.
3. Fonkoze USA, which seeks support from donors and members of the Haitian diaspora.