Program: Purpose: Amount: Term: Start date: Location:

Microfinance Provide microfinance services and financial education to youth $4.1 million Four years January 2010 Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Niger

Why We Partnered

Plan International was founded in 1937 and is committed to achieving a world in which all children realize their full potential in societies that respect people’s rights and dignity. It has an annual budget of over $600 million and works in 49 developing countries across Africa, Asia and the Americas. Plan Canada was established in 1968 and has an annual budget of over $100 million. It was established to mobilize resources from Canada and multilaterals to implement Plan’s programs internationally, provide technical support to program countries, and also implement in-country programs on youth engagement and advocacy in Canada.

Based on a successful pilot, Plan will scale-up youth savings and loan groups and provide financial literacy and life skills training to 70,000 youth in Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Niger. It will pilot linkages with formal financial institutions for 10 percent of the participating youth in Senegal. The target population is economically active youth in urban and peri-urban areas between 15 and 25 years of age, of whom 70 percent will be female.

Anticipated Impact

• Scale up Youth Savings and Loan Associations to reach 70,000 youth
• Lessons generated and the development of a sustainable and scalable model which prepares youth to join the global economy will contribute to the greater microfinance community, including other Foundation partners.