Financing Ghanaian Agriculture Project (FinGAP)
In Ghana, Connexus worked on the USAID Financing Ghanaian Agriculture Project (USAID FinGAP), leading the training and coaching activities to build the institutional capacity of financial institutions (FIs) to engage in agricultural financial services more effectively. Connexus adapted its well-respected agricultural value chain finance training to the Ghanaian context and conducted more advanced training modules […]
Elan RDC (Phase 2)
Connexus developed financial products tailored to the needs of river transporters and coffee exporters in the Democratic Republic of the Congo for DFID’s (UK Department for International Development) ÉLAN RDC project. Connexus conducted training sessions for 90 river transporters in business management, financial management, and the formation and management of savings and credit groups. These […]
Financing Smallholder Coffee Farmers in Colombia
Connexus worked with ECOM Colombia, locally known as Compañía Colombiana Agroindustrial (CCA), to strengthen their lending operations and facilitate access to finance for smallholder coffee farmers in the Huila region of Colombia. The work was part of a public-private partnership project with funding from ECOM and the Dutch Development Agency. To strengthen lending operations, Connexus […]
Access to Finance for Smallholder Cocoa Farmers in the Caribbean
In St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Connexus worked with the St. Vincent Cocoa Company (SVCC) to assist the Farmers Support Company (FSC) to enhance its lending program to smallholder farmers. To build the capacity of FSC staff, Connexus conducted its agricultural value chain finance training along with strategy planning and product development workshops. Connexus helped […]
Australia-Indonesia Partnership for Decentralisation – Rural Economic Development (AIPD Rural)
Connexus conducted an assessment on credible options for increasing access to agricultural financing for rural farmers as part of the PRISMA program of the Australia-Indonesia Partnership for Decentralisation – Rural Economic Development (AIPD Rural), which was supported by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT). As part of the evaluation, Connexus examined the […]
Peru Cacao Alliance
Connexus led the finance component of the USAID Peru Cocoa Alliance. Within the first three quarters of the project, Connexus facilitated $1.2 million in impact investor funds to cocoa and coffee cooperatives and facilitated increased access to finance for more than 400 farmers (30% female). Connexus managed relationships with socially responsible investors, conducted due diligence […]
Agricultural Credit Systems to Support Small Scale Irrigation in Mali
For GIZ, Connexus led a field mission to Mali to document the state of agricultural finance available in the country, including strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and constraints. Connexus interviewed a wide range of stakeholders including managers and loan officers of three large agricultural finance providers (BNDA, Kafojiginew, and NyesigiSo) and rice and vegetable farmers to assess […]
Agricultural Value Chain Finance Training
In collaboration with FAO, Connexus designed and delivered a successful two-day training in Washington, DC on agricultural value chain finance to development practitioners from around the world. Through the training, participants learned value chain concepts, and how to assess risks and identify opportunities to strengthen value chains. Since the initial training, Connexus has delivered 20 […]
Institutional Due Diligence
Connexus conducted over 50 due diligence and financial analyses to underwrite loans to microfinance institutions and investment funds, including a review of a Youth Education Investment Fund. Connexus also provided backstopping support to the Microfinance Portfolio Manager and Investment Fund Manager while they were on leave and represented Calvert Foundation at investors meeting with the […]
Agricultural Finance Assessment
Connexus assessed Agros International’s approach to agricultural finance and poverty alleviation and made suggestions to more consistently and efficiently achieve economic and social impact at scale. Connexus conducted a thorough assessment of its operations in Nicaragua and Honduras and presented findings and recommendations for strategic changes to Agros’ Board of Directors.
MasterCard Foundation Symposia on Financial Inclusion
Connexus and BLE Solutions served as Learning Partner for The MasterCard Foundation Symposia on Financial Inclusion. Presented in partnership with the Boulder Institute of Microfinance, the Symposia sought to change how financial service providers and microfinance industry leaders think about and design their products and services, placing clients at the center. Through the Learning Partnership, […]
FS Series #8: Rural and Agricultural Finance for Food Security
Using a participatory methodology, Conexus organized a workshop and developed a primer, case studies, diagnostic checklist, and model scope of work on how to use rural and agricultural finance to improve food security. Connexus presented the primer and templates to USAID staff, who expressed appreciation for Connexus’ ability to manage a delicate subject, balancing concerns […]
Cross-Sectoral Youth (CSY) Project
Connexus supported a one-year holistic project to improve employment opportunities and enterprises for youth in Eastern Congo, including design of market-driven training and coaching programs and a monitoring and evaluation system to measure the financial and social performance impacts. Through the program, Connexus designed and delivered four training sessions on basic accounting and cash flow […]
Akazi Kanoze
Connexus designed and delivered training courses on credit and risk analysis for youth-oriented loan products for Akazi Kanoze youth borrowers and staff. Connexus also provided technical assistance to COOJAD, a microfinance cooperative focused on serving young entrepreneurs in Rwanda. With our technical assistance, senior management staff learned how to implement and manage a USAID-DCA guarantee […]
Public Financial Management Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ)
Connexus and the Crown Agents-led consortium were awarded USAID’s Public Financial Management Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (PFM IDIQ) contract. The goal of PFM was to support governments in developing sound, effective, transparent, and accountable systems to manage public funds, thus reducing opportunities for corruption, inefficiencies, and mismanagement. Governments with sound public financial management systems tend […]