ACAD Finance

Context :

ACAD-Finance (Arab Center for Agricultural Development) is a Palestinian microfinance institution that provides financial services tailored to women and families in precarious situations in the West Bank and Gaza, primarily in rural areas, in order to promote economic projects that generate income and employment, and thus contribute to poverty reduction in the country.

The company:

ACAD began its activities in 1988 as an NGO. It was the first organization in Palestine to transform into a specialized financial institution in 2014. Majority-owned by the founding NGO, ACAD-Finance's mission is to help reduce the vulnerability of Palestinian families, particularly smallholder farmers, by providing them with access to appropriate financial services.

Impact :

ACAD-Finance offers microenterprise loans and Islamic loans for clients earning less than 1.5 times the national poverty line. The institution also provides agricultural development services, training, and community empowerment services. In addition, ACAD provides loans and technical assistance to agricultural cooperatives. ACAD-Finance is one of the only Palestinian microfinance institutions to focus on rural areas.