Since 2015, the Association Promo Monde Rural (APMR) has been working tirelessly to promote the financial inclusion of young people and women, with the aim of strengthening their economic and social autonomy. One of APMR’s flagship initiatives is the creation of village savings groups, which enable their members to mobilise funds, grant themselves loans and, at the end of a given period, share the amounts accumulated.

These groups facilitate local communities’ access to formal financial services, in particular by offering them the possibility of financing themselves, which helps to reduce poverty. In 2023, APMR supported the formation of 25 mixed groups and 63 women-only groups, bringing together a total of 1,746 members, including 1,655 women and 91 men.

Thanks to community savings, these groups have enabled their members, mainly women, to benefit from credit to launch or strengthen income-generating activities (IGAs) and finance their agricultural campaigns. At the same time, APMR puts savings groups in touch with microfinance institutions (MFIs) to give women and men greater access to formal financial services. In 2023, this strategy enabled several groups to work with the Fonds d’Appui aux Activités Rémunératrices des Femmes (FAARF) in Sapouy, an institution prized for its more accessible credit conditions. As a result, 9 groups have obtained group credit, 7 groups have benefited from solidarity credit, and 5 people have gained access to individual credit. Through these initiatives, APMR continues to improve the living conditions of rural populations, by helping to create jobs and increase the incomes of beneficiaries.

These initiatives are part of a global approach aimed at strengthening financial inclusion and promoting sustainable development in Burkina Faso.