Mujeres Emprendedoras

	Community Banks
	Direct Credits

Working with the women’s organizations associated with the community development banks has been one of the best experiences of GSD in the communities of the northern Chimborazo, with whom this microfinance mechanism has been designed, which uses an informal structure of the alternative credit to the rural population.

To overcome the traditional barrier of the male leadership in the community life and to get over the obstacle of the high percentage (30%) of the female illiteracy have been the major achievements of the women organization to take up a challenge in managing the community development banks.

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BANKS (CDB)

The CDBs are the alternative structures of the informal credit, set up as a support tool for the community development, which channels economic resources into encouraging the development and diversification of the productive activities, supporting the women’s organizing processes, giving access to the decision-making process in the community life, and improving the living conditions of the family in general.

The banks are administrated by women and set up as a heritage of the community. They constitute of the mother representatives of family and young women over 15 years old, who are the residents of the community.

ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE

-	General Assembly.
-	Administrative Unit, composed of Manager, Treasurer, and Secretary, responsible for the administrative and financial management of the community bank.
-	Control Unit, composed of three members, with the responsibility of monitoring the proper use of the funds of the banks and of the loans granted to the members.

TRAINING

-	Contribution of the partners.
-	Repayment of the investments in the project of the irrigation works and the other activities.
-	Institutional contribution of the internal and external sources.
-	Generated interests.

ALLIANCES

The relation between the women organization, GSD and the private bank has been important, initially with the intervention of the Solidary Bank, and then to strengthen the mechanism with the participation of the International Bank and the MM Jaramillo Arteaga Bank, who have provided the proper support so as to consolidate this mechanism.

CONDITIONS OF THE CREDIT

Interests:	From 12 to 16%
Terms:	Up to 12 months
Guarantees:	Promissory notes
Interests Payment:	Monthly
Capital Payment:	Monthly – Quarterly – Annual

COORDINATOR COMMITTEE

Composed of the representatives of the banks linked to GSD, with the mission to give an account to members, leaders, and GSD, this Coordinator Committee adjusts and creates the new rules that enable the increasingly efficient management of these banks administrated remarkably by women.