Acreditar

2019

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The Initiative

Who We Are

Acreditar (Believe) is a social organization headquartered in Glória do Goitá, PE, which stimulates an enterprising culture to reach young people, women and entrepreneurs in the Northeast of Brazil. Its work extends mechanisms so that local entrepreneurs may generate wealth and remain in the Northeast region supported by their own business.

District

Glória do Goitá, PE

The Proposal

In addition to the microcredit fund, especially to support women and young people, who view entrepreneurship as an option to generate income locally, offering them more dignity and freedom.

Acreditar’s microcredit model is less bureaucratic and starts from the dream of women and youth; It is a co-responsible model that commits itself not only to the availability and receipt of resources, but is also concerned with the success of these ventures, in order to improve the lives of the assisted communities.

The work includes audiences that are not supported by any financial institution and that were economically nonexistent, earning this right by means of Acreditar’s microcredit program.

The work encourages and supports another way of caring for the land by promoting organic family farming activities, with the principles of permaculture and agroecology.

The proposal also contributes to women’s entrepreneurship, fostering the empowering of women and gender equality, through the Business Fund referred to as “As Marias” that has been gradually reaching the communities by admitting more and more women and spreading the concept of gender, contributing to a context of freedom of such women.

In the general context, Acreditar encourages the autonomy and participation of our entrepreneurs, whether young, women, farmers, small local traders, to strengthen themselves as enterprises as they contribute to the development of their communities.

Background

It is rare to find a Brazilian municipality that is not also marked by significant diversity among its territories, districts and neighborhoods. Therefore, knowing the reality of young people, women, small entrepreneurs and their families in each community is essential for us to build consistent policies to address the key issues.

Domestic and Community Violence – Initially perceived by partner institutions, especially schools / teachers, who find young people with behavioral change in the classroom and playground and very idle. It is also very common the culture of submission of women who even apply for financial credit (sometimes disguised), to start their business initially without the support of the family.

Precariousness of public services – Healthcare and education services are the most criticized by entrepreneurs assisted by Acreditar. Young people and families reported the absence of trained professionals and few committed to effective results.

Lack of public transportation for mobility and emergency situations. Poor infrastructure of schools and basic healthcare units to assist families. Lack of space for recreation to meet young people’s needs, which, in turn,  seek to fill the free time with drinking, drugs and countless hours watching TV.

Violence – In the last four years the indicators of violence, homicides, youth arrests and assaults in the region have exploded. Several of our Acreditar-supported ventures have been changing their operating routines, seeking to close establishments at earlier times and placing iron bars to try to protect themselves. At the same time we identify all these issues we also locate municipalities with a strong entrepreneurial culture, with a large presence of handicrafts, agricultural potential with organic agriculture, a diversity of businesses in the area of ​​services and commerce such as clothing sales influenced by the Caruaru commercial hub in the state of Pernambuco. We identified simple families with fragile income structure, with massive presence of women, in which business generation has the role of granting them some income and freedom. And even with all these negative factors such as: Increasing poverty among families, there is also a force that encourages and provides joy to undertake and touch life.

How It Works

Acreditar understands that access to resources / microcredit alone is not enough to guarantee consistent changes in people’s lives, as young people and women may misuse it, compromising their work and impacts on local development. This is why access to microcredit is combined with guidance, monitoring and empowerment of young people and women. This causes the beneficiaries to invest the financed value in a much more appropriate manner and safety and to have more self-esteem and autonomy to manage their enterprises and make decisions about their life and future. The institution’s areas of activity are interlinked and have a direct relationship with the purpose of fostering entrepreneurship and giving visibility to business led by young people and women, generating recognition and creating new references that can stimulate the debate on gender inequality and female empowerment through work and income; In addition to provide community and local development in municipalities assisted with the key participation of young people intervening in the local circumstances of the communities and municipalities where Acreditar operates. The productive and oriented microcredit offered by Acreditar identifies and develops a partnership where it helps the entrepreneur to plan and evaluate the business as the main player of the process; analyzing supply, market, demands and economic viability. Each entrepreneur tends to develop an identity in business and market management as an entrepreneur and small business owner (MEI – Individual micro entrepreneur).

The program is divided into two main fields:

a) Productive and Oriented Microcredit Program: The oriented productive microcredit methodology promotes support to entrepreneurs’ business initiatives, providing personalized guidance.

  • Fund for the Strengthening of Productive Activities: Provides assistance to adult entrepreneurship (starting on 32 years old) in the segments of trade, service, production and agriculture, with at least 6 months of existence.
  • Young Entrepreneur Fund: Provides assistance to low-income youth (18-32 years) who want to start or strengthen a productive enterprise.
  • “As Marias” Business Fund: Provides assistance to women with business ideas or businesses already established, promoting access to income, female empowerment and gender equality.

b) Entrepreneurial Education and Business Management Program: From the microcredit program, Acreditar developed other areas of expertise, such as:

  • Guidance and formalization for Individual Microentrepreneurs – MEI: Guides and encourages entrepreneurial autonomy and the evolution of corporate management.
  • Financial education: It is a tool that encourages the responsible use of money, focusing on saving for achieving dreams, in a 40 hours / class format.
  • Microfinance Advisory – Uses the case and methodology developed by Acreditar and inspires the management of other organizations and community banks with the same objective.

Project Audience

  • The priority audiences are young people (18-32 years old) and women. Women find in entrepreneurship the way to have their own income, developing various activities simultaneous to the business, such as taking care of home, children and business. They have little time to devote to managing the venture, yet they show great effort when they have the opportunity to undertake. Currently 70% of the public assisted by Acreditar are women whose indirect beneficiaries are their children and family, improving housing, food and education, giving them more dignity. Young people come with the dream of starting a business and have bolder and more creative ideas. They are more open to planning and business plan, having more tools and allies in business development. Currently about 30% of projects are devoted to young people from 18 to 32 years.

Objectives of the Investment

  • Stimulate enterprise on population under the poverty range;
  • Encourage and strengthen business;
  • Guide and monitor projects funded with productive microcredit oriented by Acreditar.