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SPBD

20 YEARS OF INVESTING IN

PACIFIC WOMEN

20 years ago, serial social entrepreneur Greg Casagrande are so few jobs? Where can they turn when they have to rely
made his first foray into the Pacific Islands, setting up the on their own resourcefulness and their own skill set? They
South Pacific Business Development (SPBD) Samoa operations can turn to SPBD. We are so proud to provide the financing,
with the aim of helping women in need to help themselves support and training so they can get the tools they need to
out of poverty. succeed,” says SPBD Tonga General Manager Fine Tu’ipulotu.
The network of microfinance institutions now spans five
Pacific nations and continues to lead and innovate in the
microfinance space. SPBD works to eradicate poverty by
empowering women in rural villages with the opportunity Launching in December 2010, SPBD Fiji makes
to start, grow and maintain sustainable, income-generating available the benefits of microfinance to the low-income and
micro-enterprises, build assets, and finance home disadvantaged women of the Fiji Islands who constitute 35%
improvements and childhood education. of the population. SPBD Fiji has disbursed more than 55,600
SPBD provides its clients with training and financial services loans since inception, totalling more than US$32.7 million.
and ongoing motivation so that they can climb permanently Today with more than 9,000 members -- of which 5,600 are
out of poverty. It serves women in both rural and peri-urban active loan clients -- and loan portfolio of US$3.5 million and
areas who are vulnerable to the consequences of poverty, savings portfolio of US$1.9 million, SPBD is the largest and
including single mothers, the unemployed, minorities, the most successful microfinance institution in Fiji.
poor in health, the disabled, and the unbanked. “The consistent use of financial education by SPBD has
Since 2000, SPBD has impacted more than 80,000 women changed the mindsets of the women of Fiji. Not only have
and disbursed more than 246,000 micro loans worth US$177 they become entrepreneurial but also responsible financial
million to hardworking, low-income entrepreneurs. managers. SPBD will continue to expand its outreach to the
rural areas and assist these ladies formalise their businesses
as well,” says SPBD Fiji General Manager Rico Munoz.

As the initial and flagship microfinance institution
of the SPBD Network, SPBD Microfinance Samoa is often used SPBD Solomon Islands started operations in
to launch new products and pilot schemes. With coverage on November 2012 and disbursed its first loans in January
all four islands and nearly every village in Samoa, SPBD Samoa 2013. Since then, SPBD has disbursed US$15.5 million and
has been financially sustainable since 2007. SPBD is currently more than 25,200 loans. It currently services 8,400 savings
impacting more than 20,000 families (an estimated 120,000 accounts and more than US$320,000 of savings. Of the future,
individuals), almost 60% of the population. General Manager Ajay Verma says: “We will further increase
“I was once a woman with dreams and ambitions,” says the geographical footprint and the suite of financial products
SPBD Samoa General Manager Luapene Lefau. “Therefore I offered by SPBD to make more meaningful impact in the lives
would like to remind every woman out there that hard work of rural families. My Solomon Islands local team and I will
and determination will lead us to success and achieving what strive to make SPBD Solomon Islands one of the largest SPBD
may seem impossible at first.” businesses in the South Pacific region.”

Following the success of SPBD Samoa, SPBD SPBD Microfinance (Vanuatu) commenced
launched in the Kingdom of Tonga in 2009. SPBD Tonga operations in April 2017. The newest of the 5 MFIs in the
reached financial sustainability within 18 months of inception SPBD network, SPBD Vanuatu has shown impressive progress
and has since disbursed US$48.6 million. SPBD Tonga will disbursing more than 13,000 loans worth US$6.8 million since
continue to expand its outreach on existing island groups inception. SPBD services 6,900 savings accounts totalling
(Tongatapu, Vava’u, Ha’apai, Eua’) and will expand to US$290,000 in Vanuatu.
additional islands over the next few years. SPBD Tonga Florin Covaciu, General Manager of SPBD Vanuatu, shares,
currently impacts half of Tonga’s population. “I am proud and happy to be a member of this exceptional
“SPBD knows the power of women first-hand. For 20 years, institution, SPBD. We will increase our efforts to extend our
we have seen what they can accomplish. Our members want service on other islands of Vanuatu, because our mamas work
to improve their lives and their families’ lives. They want very hard, and they deserve to have a source of training and
healthier housing, better nutrition, and better education of loans as close as possible to their businesses. It is very nice
for their children. They want the next generation to have a to see them improving and developing, and we are doing our
better life. So, how can they make that happen when there best to be here for them. When they succeed, we succeed.”

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