In her role as UNSGSA, Queen Máxima meets with people across the world whose financial health has been strengthened by tailored financial services and supportive tools. These are their stories.
Client Stories
Empowering Kenyan Smallholder Farmers: Pula's Game-Changing Digital Insurance
In Kenya, Pula is pioneering agricultural transformation through strategic collaboration with banks and farming suppliers. This insure-tech company is at the forefront of illuminating innovative solutions for smallholder farmers, offering digital insurance options that shield them from the… Read more
Hello Tractor is Revolutionizing Farming and Fueling Economic Empowerment Through Digital Financing for Smallholders in Kenya
With digital financial services, ag-tech company Hello Tractor is helping smallholder farmers access and afford industrial farming equipment, drastically increasing agricultural productivity while reducing costs. Read more
Kovi’s Innovative Auto Financing Model Helping to Drive Better Financial Health in Brazil
The dream of car ownership is often out of reach for many low-income individuals and other traditionally underserved groups in Brazil. Hurdles such as lack of minimum credit scores, proof of income, and high interest fees can restrict access to financial tools like automobile loans. Kovi, an auto… Read more
Embedded Finance the Next Technology to Fuel Financial Inclusion for MSMEs in Brazil
MSMEs have long been underserved by Brazil’s traditional banks, which charge high rates of interest and require a complicated credit application process. Without the financial tools to manage their expenses, grow their business, and weather financial shocks, these economic engines of Brazil are… Read more
Microcredit, Microinsurance Help Female-Owned Bakery Business Cook up Sweet Treats in Morocco
Unable to obtain a loan for her business from a traditional bank due to insufficient credit history, Loubna Laqioud received her first loan from microfinance institution Arrawaj Foundation in 2013. She has received loans to purchase equipment and ingredients, as well as invest in marketing efforts… Read more
Moroccan Start-Up Chari Facilitating Digital Transformation and Financial Inclusion for Mom-and-Pop Shop Owners
Payment services will act as a digital onramp to the estimated 200,000 small merchants in Morocco. This is important in a county where cash remains king. Read more
In Tanzania, Low-Cost Digital Insurance Protects Farmers
Smallholder farming in Tanzania has long been a risky enterprise. The hardworking farmers who raise many of the essential crops that feed their country and the world have traditionally run their enterprises on a shoestring budget, with limited capital for buying seeds and supplies, and little or no… Read more
Protecting Women’s Health by Digitally Transforming a System of Care
In Tanzania, expectant mothers are supposed to receive free, basic prenatal care through government programs. However, there are many gaps in the system, including supply-chain challenges, limited financing, and a lack of transparency and accountability. As a result, many women find that they must… Read more
SudPay’s Tax Collection Tool Improves Public Services, Expands Inclusion
As more people in Senegal and throughout Africa use mobile phones, tools like SudPay will be critical in helping local governments offer digital services, and connecting individuals with the financial services that can improve their lives. Read more
Innovative Insurance Products Help Farmers Guard Against Climate Shocks
For farmers in Senegal, a successful harvest largely depends on the amount of rain that falls during the growing season. More than two-thirds of the sector is entirely rain-fed, exposing smallholder farmers to a high level of volatility—a risk that has increased due to climate change. To help… Read more
In Senegal, myAgro Helps Farmers Save and Plan for the Future
When Badjane Diouf, a farmer in rural Senegal, was asked what her harvest is like since farming with myAgro, she shared that her harvest tripled from five bags of peanuts to 15 bags in her most recent growing season—enabling her to sell some of her harvest to save money and meet her family's food… Read more
Digital Finance Helps Rural Women Save and Grow Micro Businesses
In Côte d’Ivoire, as in many other low- and middle-income countries, low-income entrepreneurs often form small, informal groups to help members save money, access loans, and obtain emergency insurance. Since 2006, the international nonprofit organization CARE has been working in Côte d’Ivoire to… Read more