Attend an ACCION Delegation

Witness the Power of Microfinance at Work – First Hand

Every year, ACCION takes current and prospective donors to visit our partner programs throughout the world to witness how microfinance fights poverty in developing countries and improves the lives of poor families. If you are interested in learning more about delegations, please email Alejandra Tejada at atejada@accion.org

Latin America

Past Delegations

Delegation to Nicaragua to visit ACCION partner Financiera FAMA
In June 2008, ACCION International lead a delegation to visit Nicaragua and our microfinance partner, Financiera FAMA, to step into the shoes of sandal makers, market vendors and coffee growers and hear their stories of struggle and success. This was an exceptional opportunity for participants to experience the lasting impact of microfinance in a developing region of the globe. Learn more about the delegation.

Delegation to Lima, Peru to visit ACCION partner Mibanco
In June 2007, ACCION lead a delegation to Lima, Peru to visit Mibanco – one of the premier microfinance banks in Latin America – to witness the power of microloans in the hands of the working poor. Delegates met microfinance clients of Mibanco, in the marketplaces and shops of Lima and beyond, to see how their support of ACCION improves the lives of microentrepreneurs as they use loans to support their businesses and provide for their families. During the trip, participants also learned about the history and future of microfinance from the visionary leadership of Mibanco. The trip included an excursion to visit the historic city of Cuzco and the nearby legendary Lost City of the Incas, Machu Picchu.

Read about one enthusiastic participant, Greg Fallon, and his experience on the Peru Delegation.

Learn more about ACCION's microfinance partners in Latin America.

Africa

ACCION began partnering with microfinance organizations in sub-Saharan Africa in 2000. Since then, the remarkable growth of our African partners' microlending activities is a testament to the vital need for microfinance throughout Africa. In February 2004, ACCION senior vice president Roy Jacobowitz led our first ever delegation to Africa. The delegates visited clients at Uganda Microfinance Union (UMU) in Uganda before traveling to Mozambique to see microlending in action at Tchuma. During the visit, delegates witnessed first hand the positive effects of microenterprise in the region and also had time to enjoy the unique culture, scenery and cuisine of Uganda and Mozambique. Highlights of the delegation included:

Client visits in the Ugandan countryside outside UMU’s Busia branch where delegates interacted with microentrepreneurs in an enormous cross-border trading marketplace near the Kenyan border.
Visits to local Ugandan art galleries and craft markets, as well as trips to scenic Lake Victoria and breathtaking SipiFalls.
A walking sightseeing tour of Mozambique’s colonial capital, Maputo.
A trip to a beach north of Maputo to visit working fishermen, many of who are Tchuma clients.

Learn more about ACCION's microfinance partners in Africa.

Watch our video series, and learn more about ACCION and the power of microfinance to alleviate global poverty.