Kashf Foundation
Status: Approved investmentWhy disclosure?
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Disclaimer
The information as disclosed is indicative and provided on an "as-is/as available" basis for general informational purposes only and should not be construed as financial, legal or investment advice, nor as a commitment or an offer to arrange or provide any financing. The final decision to provide financing is subject to the terms and conditions of FMO in its sole and absolute discretion. When providing links to other sites, FMO bears no responsibility for the accuracy, legality or content of the external site or for that of subsequent links. The information on proposed investment for high-risk investments is made available in the language relevant to the country or region where the bulk of operations take place. Translations of any information into languages other than English are intended as a convenience for local stakeholders. In case of any discrepancy, the information provided in English will prevail.
Who is our customer?
Kashf Foundation is one of the oldest and largest Microfinance Institutions in Pakistan, providing cost-effective microloans and insurance to low-income women entrepreneurs who need credit to develop their businesses. To enhance its offerings and impact, Kashf also offers capacity-building training to its customers and social advocacy interventions at the community level.
What is our funding objective?
Kashf will use the loan proceeds to scale its operations, enabling it to reach more low-income, small entrepreneurs. This promotes sustainable and inclusive growth by fostering economic independence, livelihood resilience, and job creation in underserved communities.
Why do we fund this investment?
FMO supports an institution that empowers low-income women in a country that ranks second-to-last in the Global Gender Index 2024 of the World Economic Forum, having one of the lowest levels of economic parity. Kashf’s mission is to create economic empowerment through financial access and capacity-building training for low-income women entrepreneurs. This debt facility is eligible for a 100% FMO Reducing Inequalities (RI) label.
What is the Environmental and Social categorization rationale?
Given the size and purpose of the portfolio loans, Kashf has an E&S C risk category. FMO analyses risks from different perspectives and assessments. In the case of microfinance investments, the E&S classification is typically low because the exposure generally is limited to retail and micro-entrepreneurs. The risks that might come with microfinance investments, such as over-indebtedness, transparency of interest rates, and responsible pricing, are covered by FMO in other assessments, such as Client Protection Principles (CPPs). In case of high contextual risk, a human rights assessment can be carried out.
More investments
| Date | Total FMO financing |
|---|---|
| 10/27/2021 | EUR 0.05 MLN |
| 8/12/2019 | USD 5.00 MLN |
| 6/16/2022 | USD 5.00 MLN |
- Website customer/investment
- https://kashf.org/
- Region
- Asia
- Country
- Pakistan
- Sector
- Financial Institutions
- Publication date
- 1/13/2025
- Effective date
- 7/16/2025
- Total FMO financing
- USD 15.00 MLN
- Funding
- MASSIF
-
Risk categorization on environmental and social impacts, A = high risk, B+ = medium high risk, B = medium risk, C = low risk
Environmental & Social Category
(A, B+, B or C) - C