VisionFund Senegal is a microfinance institution (MFI) distinguished by a unique model: 95% of its clients are women living in rural areas. For nearly 10 years, the MFI has operated in line with the principles of the NGO World Vision Senegal, itself part of the World Vision International network, which aims to improve living conditions in the countries where it operates through its network of MFIs, VisionFund International.
Proparco is providing its support at a key moment in VisionFund Senegal’s growth: the objective is to strengthen VisionFund’s profitability while preserving its social DNA and high level of impact, serving the most vulnerable populations. More broadly, this project addresses two key development challenges in Senegal: reducing gender inequalities and enhancing food security.
VisionFund Senegal relies on a solidarity-based, community lending methodology rooted in the traditional tontine system, enabling women in rural areas to access financial autonomy. The project is therefore qualified under the 2X Challenge, a global initiative promoting women’s economic empowerment.
This new partnership reaffirms Proparco’s commitment to the microfinance sector in Senegal and to inclusive, sustainable development, by making credit a true lever for social transformation.
This project also falls within the framework of the Food & Agriculture Resilience Mission (FARM), launched in 2022 by Emmanuel Macron, President of the French Republic, alongside the European Union, the G7, and the African Union. FARM aims to improve food security in fragile countries, particularly by strengthening local agri-food value chains in order to reduce dependence on imports and promote local and regional production.
According to Sadio Dicko, Proparco’s Regional Director for West Africa: “Proparco is proud to support VisionFund Senegal. In less than a decade, the institution has built recognized expertise by reaching clients where they are. Women’s economic empowerment is an absolute priority, because we know that when a woman becomes an entrepreneur, an entire ecosystem—families and communities—rises with her.”
Agnès Diene, Managing Director of VisionFund Senegal, welcomes this collaboration: “We commend Proparco for this strategic support. At VisionFund Senegal, credit is not an end in itself, but a lever for dignity. By reaching our clients in the most remote rural areas, we provide them with much more than a loan: we give them the means to become architects of their own future and drivers of homegrown development. This partnership enables us to further strengthen our impact and to demonstrate that inclusive finance is the foundation of a resilient Senegal.”
