USAID's DCA can help establish partial credit guarantees with local lending institutions to provide credit to

populations not normally receiving credit, such as associations of community health workers or PLHIV.

Recognizing that poverty is a major factor in the spread and management of HIV, the EP has supported a

number of interventions - income generating activities, microfinance, financial and management capacity

strengthening for local organizations - to address this issue among PLHIV, OVC and their families. In FY

2008, EP will support three activities to address this need: 1) conduct an assessment of IGAs; 2) award a

follow-on community services project with a component for income generation; and, 3) develop loan

guarantee through the DCA.

The EP, together with the USAID/Rwanda Economic Growth team and the EGAT Bureau, will conduct an

assessment of all IGAs supported since the beginning of the program. This assessment will inform the

income generation component of the follow-on activity which will provide community-based support for

PLHIV, OVC, their families and caregivers to be designed in FY 2008. This new awardee will be

responsible for working with groups identified to benefit from the DCA loan guarantees (to be determined

based on DCA initial assessments) to ensure they have the appropriate business development,

management and financial skills to receive and successfully use credit. In addition, the awardee will

monitor the impact of the loan guarantees on health outcomes such as adherence to ART. The DCA will

work with local lending institutions and the community-services follow-on project to establish loan guarantee

and provide any technical assistance needed to ensure its ongoing success. The EP will incorporate the

best practices of the DCAs current work with the agri-business sector that is in place with the

USAID/Rwanda Economic growth team.

This activity addresses the EP five-year strategy for sustainability.

USAID's DCA can help establish partial credit guarantees with local lending institutions to provide credit to

populations not normally receiving credit, such as associations of community health workers or people living

with HIV.

Recognizing that poverty is a major factor in the spread and management of HIV, the EP has supported a

number of interventions - income generating activities, microfinance, financial and management capacity

strengthening for local organizations - to address this issue among PLHIV, OVC and their families. In FY

2008, EP will support three activities to address this need: 1) conduct an assessment of IGAs; 2) award a

follow-on community services project with a component for income generation; and, 3) develop loan

guarantee through the DCA.

The EP, together with the USAID/Rwanda Economic Growth team and the EGAT Bureau, will conduct an

assessment of all IGAs supported since the beginning of the program. This assessment will inform the

income generation component of the follow-on activity which will provide community-based support for

PLHIV, OVC, their families and caregivers to be designed in FY 2008. This new awardee will be

responsible for working with groups identified to benefit from the DCA loan guarantees (to be determined

based on DCA initial assessments) to ensure they have the appropriate business development,

management and financial skills to receive and successfully use credit. In addition, the awardee will

monitor the impact of the loan guarantees on health outcomes such as adherence to ART. The DCA will

work with local lending institutions and the community-services follow-on project to establish loan guarantee

and provide any technical assistance needed to ensure its ongoing success. The EP will incorporate the

best practices of the DCAs current work with the agri-business sector that is in place with the

USAID/Rwanda Economic growth team.

This activity addresses the EP five-year strategy for sustainability.

USAID's Development Credit Authority (DCA) can help establish partial credit guarantees with local lending

institutions to provide credit to populations not normally receiving credit, such as associations of community

health workers or PLHIV.

Recognizing that poverty is a major factor in the spread and management of HIV, the EP has supported a

number of interventions - IGA, microfinance, financial and management capacity strengthening for local

organizations - to address this issue among PLHIV, OVC and their families. In FY 2008, EP will support

three activities to address this need: 1) conduct an assessment of IGAs; 2) award a follow-on community

services project with a component for income generation; and, 3) develop loan guarantee through the DCA.

The EP, together with the USAID/Rwanda Economic Growth team and the EGAT Bureau, will conduct an

assessment of all IGAs supported since the beginning of the program. This assessment will inform the

income-generation component of the follow-on activity, which will provide community-based support for

PLHIV, OVC, their families and caregivers to be designed in FY 2008. This new awardee will be

responsible for working with groups identified to benefit from the DCA loan guarantees (to be determined

based on DCA initial assessments) to ensure they have the appropriate business development,

management and financial skills to receive and successfully use credit. In addition, the awardee will

monitor the impact of the loan guarantees on health outcomes such as adherence to ART. The DCA will

work with local lending institutions and the community-services follow-on provider to establish to loan

guarantee and provide any TA needed to ensure its ongoing success. The EP will learn from the successful

DCA with the agribusiness sector that has been put in place by the USAID/Rwanda Economic growth team

and expects to make up to $4 million available through this activity.

This activity advances the EP 5-year strategy for sustainability.