Unitus and Yehu Microfinance Trust Form Partnership

April 15, 2009 Posted by Press Release

Unitus Expands Presence in East Africa through New Partnership with Kenyan Microfinance Provider Yehu Microfinance Trust

Third East Africa partnership demonstrates Unitus’s deepening commitment to increasing microfinance accessibility in the region

Seattle, WA, April 15, 2009 — Unitus, Inc., an international nonprofit dedicated to reducing global poverty by accelerating access to microfinance, is pleased to announce its new partnership with Yehu Microfinance Trust, an emerging microfinance institution (MFI) recognized for its strong leadership and strategic operations in underserved areas of coastal Kenya. Unitus’s third MFI partner in East Africa, Yehu has approximately 8,400 clients, serves marginalized populations earning less than $2 a day, and is committed to commercially scaling its operations to expand its reach.

We are thrilled to add Yehu as our twenty-fourth MFI partner and an important anchor to our expansion into East Africa,” said Ed Bland, President of Unitus. “Yehu, under the entrepreneurial leadership of Adet Kachi, is successfully serving low-income families in Kenya with branches in deep rural areas, low loan sizes, and innovative products and services that not only appeal to this population but increase their borrowing success. We look forward to working with Yehu to expand their operations and achieve rapid sustainable growth.”

Through the Unitus network, MFI partners receive a broad range of business consulting services, capacity-building grants, technology tools, strategic planning, and capital advisory services to eliminate barriers to growth and empower them to serve millions more working poor.

“I am very pleased to join Unitus’s growing network of MFIs in East Africa,” said Adet Kachi, CEO of Yehu. “Leveraging Unitus’s strategic consulting, high-performing network, and assistance in accessing grants and capital will enable us to grow aggressively and positively impact the lives of Kenyans who want to improve their livelihoods through entrepreneurial work.”

Yehu joins two other East African MFIs in Unitus’s portfolio: Jamii Bora Trust, based in Nairobi, and Tujijenge Tanzania, based in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Unitus recently announced its Africa Microfinance Growth Centre, a leadership development program for early-stage microfinance providers in East Africa. Participants in the program will benefit from improved strategy, leadership, and execution ability, enabling them to rapidly grow their organizations and expand their financial services.

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