Lead Foundation, an NGO created thanks to contributions from key figures of the private sector,serving poor women in Greater Cairo

Lead Foundation is an NGO founded in 2003, thanks to individual contributions from key figures in the Egyptian private sector and with support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

Its mission: offering quality microfinance services to Egyptian entrepreneurs with very low incomes
 

• Lead Foundation is an Egyptian microfinance institution (MFI) that has seen very fast growth. After seven years of existence, it has become Egypt’s no.2 MFI.
• As of december 31 2010 , it had 194 392 active borrowers and a credit portfolio of 20.8 million euros.
• Lead Foundation has developed its services in the Greater Cairo region via a network of 18 agencies.
• The MFI is gradually extending its activities to neighbouring rural and agricultural areas, starting with the Menoufeya (North) and then Fayoum (Southeast) regions. Microfinance services are barely developed in these regions and reach only about 5% of potential demand.
• 82,25 % of Lead’s clients are women. 

Individual and group-based lending that enables borrowers to continue or even expand their activities

Group-based lending represents 84% of Lead’s clients and 48% of its loan portfolio. Loan maturity is spread from 10 to 40 weeks, for amounts ranging from 7 to 210 euros. Lead Foundation also proposes individual loans for a maximum period of 12 months.

Lead Foundation website

Support from Grameen Credit Agricole Microfinance Foundation

The Foundation, in partnership with the Grameen Jameel fund, has accepted to support Lead Foundation through a guarantee. This latter represents 25% of a 3-year loan in Egyptian pounds (equivalent to USD 6 million), provided by the "Société Générale".

In parallel, Grameen Jameel, an entity of the Grameen Foundation (US) and the Jameel Group gave a guaranty of 20%.

More on the Foundation’s microfinance offer…