VISIONFUND INTERNATIONAL PRESS RELEASE

VisionFund International Contact:

Amada Kamin
Communications Director, VisionFund International
+44 (0)7 884 865 556
Amanda_Kamin@wvi.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

FINANCIAL INCLUSION IN MYANMAR BOLSTERED BY US$4.5 MILLION GRANT
FROM LIVELIHOODS AND FOOD SECURITY TRUST FUND
Yangon, London 11 January 2016 The Livelihoods and Food Security Trust Fund
(LIFT) has awarded World Vision Myanmar, working in close partnership with World
Vision Australia and its microfinance partner VisionFund Myanmar, a grant of $4.5
million to help approximately 100,000 people gain improved access to financial services.
In alignment with LIFTs objectives, the grant will enable VisionFund Myanmar to
increase its efforts to provide credit and savings products for those primarily engaged in
agricultural and off-farm small businesses in the states of Kachin, Shan, Kayah and
Kayin, comprising a major part of Myanmars uplands region.
The uplands region is underserved by both formal and informal financial services. Only
around 20 percent of households have access to formal services, approximately 30
percent have access to informal services, and the majority (over 50 percent) of the
population are excluded from both formal and informal financial services1.
The LIFT Financial Inclusion grant is part of a wider World Vision livelihood programme
which aims to increase the income of rural households, increase the resilience of rural
households and communities to shocks, stresses and adverse trends, as well as
improving the nutrition of rural women, men and children. The partners will pay special
attention to the encouragement of women in livelihood activities with over 80% of clients
anticipated to be women.
Andrew Kirkwood, LIFTs Fund Director, commented, Increased access to affordable
credit and sustainable financial services will accelerate Myanmars rural economic
transformation. We have allocated this grant since World Vision Myanmar has been
active since 1998 and VisionFund Myanmar has well-established microfinance
operations serving rural communities. There are significant synergies between the
partners in our financial inclusion programme in terms of local knowledge and in bringing
financial services to the rural poor.

1 UNCDF http://www.uncdf.org/en/myanmar

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VisionFund Myanmar, has grown its total portfolio to over US$8 million2 with nearly
60,000 active borrowers, 87 percent of whom are women. It is estimated that over
160,000 children have been positively impacted as a result of the small loans taken out
by their parents to grow businesses and supplement the family income.
Scott Brown, President and CEO of VisionFund International explains, While Myanmar
is experiencing significant changes, more than 323 percent of the population still live
below the poverty line and the country suffers from a lack of capital to fund economic
development. This generous grant will enable us to bring greater financial inclusion to
some of the poorest areas to provide brighter futures for the present and future
generations.
For more information please visit www.visionfund.org/grants or email
grants@visionfund.org.

More information on LIFT:

LIFT is a multi-donor trust fund that improves the lives and prospects of rural
poor people in Myanmar, with generous contributions from the United Kingdom,
European Union, Australia, Denmark, France, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the
Netherlands, New Zealand, Switzerland, Sweden, and the United States of
America, and, from the private sector, the Mitsubishi Corporation. Aside from
financing more than 90 projects to date, LIFT provides technical
expertise, targeted research and its position of oversight to improve programme
design and cohesion for better overall impact. LIFT also works closely with the
Government of Myanmar to promote pro-poor policies.
www.lift-fund.org
More information on World Vision:
World Vision is one of the worlds largest Christian relief, development and
advocacy organisations dedicated to working with children, families and
communities to overcome poverty and injustice. Spanning over sixty years, its
45,000 staff and volunteers in nearly 100 countries have been committed to
improving the lives of children, while working with the worlds most vulnerable
people, regardless of religion, race, ethnicity or gender.

2 As of September 30, 2015

3

UNCDF http://www.uncdf.org/en/myanmar
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info@visionfund.org

More information on VisionFund:

VisionFund, World Visions microfinance arm, has been improving the lives of
children in the developing world for more than a decade. By offering small loans
and other financial services to families living in poverty, its clients develop
successful businesses, enabling their children to grow up healthy and educated.
Last year, VisionFund MFIs provided 1.3 million loans at a 98% repayment rate,
with nearly three-quarters of these going to women, and over half to clients
actively involved in farming. In 2015, close to four million children were impacted
through its lending network located across more than 30 countries in Africa, Latin
America, Asia, the Middle East and Eastern Europe.

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info@visionfund.org