Unlocking access to financial services for indigenous communities and female entrepreneurs.
In New Caledonia, lack of employment opportunities and high poverty rates (one Caledonian out of five lives under the poverty line), as well as an entrepreneurial spirit push local populations to develop informal economic activities to survive. The indigenous Kanak communities are particularly exposed to precarious working conditions and access to basic services in tribal areas is extremely limited.
Adie, a leading microfinance institution in France, is addressing the complex socio-economic issues affecting the Kanak communities by unlocking financial support and business mentoring for small entrepreneurs. In particular, Adie targets a public of female entrepreneurs, who face more obstacles than their male counterpart in creating and leading enterprises.
The French association has already a strong presence in New Caledonia thanks to its network of 8 offices. Remarkably, the creation of a “mobile unit” in the municipality of Canala in 2020 has contributed to double the number of female-led small enterprises in the area.
The Trafigura Foundation has started a new partnership with Adie to help consolidate and scale-up its financial services for remote and underserved communities in New Caledonia. In the next two years, Adie’s ambition is to open 4 new mobile units that will support 700 indigenous entrepreneurs in the creation and launch of their small businesses.
Adie’s model offers not only a microcredit up to 15,000 Euro; it also offers an on-site mentoring and business support pre- and post-business creation, with a view to providing a unique opportunity for remote populations in setting up their own economic activities.
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