Asia Pacific Kiva Microfunds has crowdfunded $15 million for South Pacific Business Development since 2017.

Kiva Investment Manager Mark McDonagh highlighted this as evidence of a successful partnership, resulting in 10,000 loans for women entrepreneurs in Fiji.

McDonagh praised SPBD as the only sustainable microfinance institution in the Pacific that effectively helps underprivileged families escape poverty through economic opportunities.

“As one of the world’s first crowdfunding websites, Kiva’s mission is to expand financial access to help underserved communities thrive. We do this by crowdfunding loans and unlocking capital for the underserved, improving the quality and cost of financial services, and addressing the underlying barriers to financial access around the world.”

SPBD Fiji Director Elrico Munoz expressed satisfaction with the collaboration and hopes for its continuation.

Additionally, the SBPD Labasa office has moved to Main Street Labasa Town to improve accessibility and visibility, aiming to expand client coverage by 20% in the next four months.