PROCAJA, Asociación para el Desarrollo de Cajas Rurales

Financial products for farmers and micro entrepreneurs in remote rural areas

Panama

Asociaciόn para el Desarrollo de Cajas Rurales (PROCAJA) is a private non-profit organization with a focus on providing financial products to small farmers and micro entrepreneurs in the provinces of Veraguas, Cocle, Herrera, Los Santos and Chitre. Many of the clients in this area live in isolated regions and are often excluded from the formal financial system.

PROCAJA was founded in 1996 with five rural branches as part of the PROCOOFES-project (Programa de Cooperación con el Fondo de Emergencia Social) with funds from the European Union and the Panamanian government. The organization now has 11 offices (2015).

The clients use the loans to invest in agricultural activities or livestock production (chicken, pigs, cows), or to invest in small business such as grocery stores and shoe shops, selling fruits and vegetables, for housing improvements or for educational purposes.  The organization also offers  funeral micro insurance.

Asociaciόn para el Desarrollo de Cajas Rurales has been an Oikocredit partner since 2015.