Techno-links for Improved Access and Incomes

Results as of March 2014 include: Technology links for financial services: MEDA worked with two financial services firms: Zoona a mobile partner in Zambia and MiCrédito a microfinance institution in Nicaragua. MEDA assisted Zoona in the development and optimization of their agent network in creating risk management data collection and analysis techniques and in generating customer uptake. Zoona now has 230 agent locations and 170 Zambian Breweries using Zoona Payments with 57% of its customers being repeat users (up from 27% in 2012). MEDA’s work with Zoona resulted in reaching nearly 20 000 farmers with agricultural vouchers increasing the farmers' ability to save money securely for agricultural input supplies. MEDA worked with MiCrédito in Nicaragua to develop new technology-oriented products and extend their services to new markets. With assistance via the project MiCrédito extended savings accounts and electronic payments via debit cards to nearly 800 clients. It implemented mobile loan application capabilities as well as mobile credit checks improving customer value of its loan products. It upgraded its Management Information System and risk reporting and extended customer reach in new markets via kiosks. As a result MiCrédito increased its clients by 40% (from 3 288 to 4 606) and increased the timeliness of its loan process by 75% (from 4 days to 1 day). Technology links for agriculture: 20 business entities (10 in Peru and 10 in Nicaragua) were competitively selected to receive matching business grants to support their individual business plans each leveraging various technologies to grow and extend their businesses. The businesses included private sector input suppliers producer associations agricultural research institutes and NGOs operating in various value chains including horticulture dried fruits coffee honey as well as agriculture oriented services such as soil testing solar power methane bio-gas and organic fertilizers. These compa