Country: Ecuador

Internship: Trias

Description of the Institution

Trias is a Belgian development organization that supports its partner organizations in the South who in turn help people with their businesses (small entrepreneurs and farmers) and defend their interests. They focus on sustainable local economical development and on the live hood security of their target group: small entrepreneurs and family farmers.

Name of the student : Sukadi Ritha (2005-2006)

Title of thesis : "Savings in MIFS: from mobilisation to financial sustainability. Case of the Ecuadorian COAC 4de Octubre"

Country: Mexique

Internship: Planet Finance

Description of the Institution

Planet Finance has for mission to develop the microfinance sector. Its objectives are: develop effective tools to develop microfinance worldwide, guarantee ethics and excellence in the development of all activities, and become a self-sufficient organization by developing diversified and sustainable products.

PlaNet Finance supports these financial intermediaries and increases their growth by federating them and providing operational services which enable them to strengthen their technical capacities and financial resources. PlaNet Finance also works with the private sector (banks and financial institutions), governments and international organizations in order to increase microfinance sustainability.

Name of the student : Merli Gabriele (2005-2006)

Title of thesis : "Microfinance and the Mexican export-oriented cooperatives: Are there opportunities for an adapted financial product to cope with the benefits of international labels and the costs of certification?"

Country: Peru

Internship: MINCETUR: Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism – “Ministerio de Comercio Exterior y Turismo

Description of the Institution

During my one year stay in Peru, I actually did not actually work for a microfinance institution. Instead, I did my internship at the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism - MINCETUR, helping SMEs to export within the framework of a European Commission funded project.

In parallel to this work, I visited 6 MFIs and some of their clients, other actors of the sector such as investors, NGOs, networks of MFIs and the SBS - Superintency of Banks and Insurances regulating the banking sector of the country in general and allowing microfinance activities in particular.

My internship along with the above mentioned organizations visited allowed me to define criteria whether exporting was a viable solution for small Peruvian producers. In the case it was feasible for small producers to export, the thesis tried to define what were the respective roles of MFIs and downscaling banks.

Name of the student : Xavier Mommens (2006-2007)

Title of thesis : "Integration of small Peruvian producers in the export business. The respective roles of MFIs and/or downscaling banks"

Internship: Edymes Proempresa

Description of the Institution

EDPYME Proempresa S.A. is a Peruvian Entity for the Development of Small and Micro Enterprises (EDPYME), created in 1998. It is a private limited company dedicated to granting credits to small and microenterprises. It is regulated under the General Law of the Financial and Insurance Systems of the Superintendency of Banking, Insurance and Private Pension Funds (SBS), Law N°26702 and its Amendments.

Proempresa’s mission is to profitably provide, in a warm and efficient way, integral financial services to small and micro enterprises so as to foster their development.

Name of the student : Aude-Marine Chevrier (2006-2007)

Title of thesis : "Why do Entities for the Development of Small and Microenterprises (EDPYMEs) lack competitive advantages in the Peruvian Microfinance market ? The case of Proempresa"