Over 35 years, Pro Mujer has grown from a $1 million grant from Visa Foundation into a $4.4 billion micro-lending network across Latin America. Founded by educators Lynne Patterson and Carmen Velasco in Bolivia, the organization was built to solve a basic problem: women running businesses lacked access to credit and skills support. The model pairs small loans with business training, financial education, and preventive health services. Since 1990, Pro Mujer has reached 2.5 million women and delivered health services to over 10 million people, and expanded to provide digital training for 250,000 entrepreneurs across 23 countries.
Pro Mujer leveraged $1M from Visa to build $4.4B women’s lending network across Latin America
Visa backed one idea that turned into $4 billion lifeline
Damilola Esebame
The Street
Graphic created from original photo. Credit: Pexels/Helena Lopes
This note filed under: Economic Development, Education, Entrepreneurship, Financial Management, Health & Medicine, Human Services, Women & Girls
