Portfolio Partner Profile
responsAbility Micro and SME Finance Debt Fund
responsAbility Investments AG is an asset manager in the field of development investments and offers professionally-managed investment solutions to private, institutional and public investors. The Micro and SME Finance Debt Fund focuses on private debt investments in the financial sector in emerging markets in order to deliver steady returns. With 1.7 billion adults and millions of small businesses still underbanked today, the deepening of the financial sector in emerging markets provides attractive growth financing opportunities, boosted by regulatory evolution, technology and mobile solutions. The fund is therefore uniquely positioned to provide investors with market returns as well as, through promoting financial inclusion, strong impact achievements linked to the SDGs.
Featured Impact Story
Impact Story
Banco Mundo Mujer: Pioneering change in Colombian communities
One of responsAbility Micro and SME Finance Debt Fund’s borrowers, Banco Mundo Mujer (BMM), was founded in 1985 by Leonor Melo de Velasco in response to her community’s needs after the earthquake in Popayán, a historic city in southwestern Colombia. BMM has since evolved into a prominent microfinance institution focused on alleviating poverty, supporting gender equity, and promoting economic growth.
BMM's primary focus is to provide access to financial services for women and rural communities, two segments often overlooked by traditional financial institutions. This approach empowers female entrepreneurs, such as Sandra Castro, a mother and head of her family, who has been a client of BMM for over 23 years. Sandra started a jeans business with her first loan, and later established her bakery, “El Joe,” now a staple in Popayán. With over 12 years of tradition, her bakery exemplifies the entrepreneurial spirit fostered by BMM. With the income from her business, she was able to educate her two children. Sandra described how BMM has influenced her life, “the bank was the first to support me when I started my business. Thanks to BMM, I paid for my son’s university education. He is about to graduate as a public accountant. I thank them for giving me a hand as a woman and head of the household. I didn’t have a house to back a loan, and they trusted me just by seeing my effort and my work.” Sanda also highlighted the speed and ease with which she can access the entity’s loans in order to continue her work.
Impact Story
Rose Marwa Chacha: A micro-business owner and community leader
Rose Marwa Chacha grew up in difficult circumstances characterized by poverty, forced marriage, and domestic violence. With the advice from a neighbor, she contacted Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee (BRAC) Tanzania for support, which enabled her to transition from a domestic helper to a successful businesswoman. BRAC Tanzania offers microcredit programs that equip women with the essential tools to establish their own micro-enterprises. Her initial loan from BRAC allowed her to open a kiosk - a crucial step on the road to financial independence.
Then, with a subsequent loan, she moved to trading colorful fabrics for clothing and household items. As the owner of three log cabins, operator of a cattle farm with 300 animals, and employer, Rose has not only improved her family’s living conditions but also strengthens the community by creating jobs and enriching the local economy. Today, Rose is a successful businesswoman and a respected member of her community. “In a society where women are often denied participation in economic decisions, I stand as a proud example for other women,” she says. “My family enjoys a better life, and my children receive a good education."
Impact Story
Amasha Mwakalibule: A peanut-selling micro-business owner
Amasha Mwakalibule was unemployed after graduating from college, which led him to embrace entrepreneurship by starting a peanut selling business. BRAC Tanzania provided Amasha with a microloan to invest in his business venture. As his business grew, Amasha, alongside his wife, established a household goods shop. Seeking further expansion, he secured a small enterprise loan from BRAC Tanzania, which allowed him to purchase a dairy cow and additional investments in the shop. This enabled his family to move into their own mud house and scale up their business. With continuous repayments and additional credit, Amasha increased his loan which helped him to create jobs and become the owner of five farms, two shops, and two modern homes.
Microfinance
Gender Equity
Small Business
