FACES, Fundación de Apoyo Comunitario y Social del Ecuador

Contributing to poverty alleviation via microfinance services

Ecuador

The small microfinance institution (MFI) Fundación de Apoyo Comunitario y Social del Ecuador (FACES) was established in 1991 with the goal of offering microfinance services in order to contribute to the improvement of social and economic welfare, and a specific focus on women. Via a network of eight branches FACES predominantly serves micro entrepreneurs in the province of Loja and a large part of the province of Zamora Chinchipe.

These provinces are among the poorest in the country with almost half the population living below the poverty line. Most economically active people work in agriculture, the raising of cattle, sugar production, wood or the handicraft sector. In 2013 the organization served almost 11,000 small borrowers.

FACES has been an Oikocredit partner since 2009.