Bancos Comunales is the new micro-credit programme started by Fundap with ACTEC's support. This programme is aimed at women from very poor backgrounds, especially those of Maya origin. Our support consists of providing funds as well as advice for launching and consolidating the system. This support was decisive and enabled the whole scheme to take off. After three years, 226 Bancos Comunales have been set up with a total of 5.180 beneficiaries.

The methodology used by the Bancos Comunales is as follows:

• credits are granted for groups reinforcing the beneficiaries capacity for self organisation;
• every group develops a savings policy enabling it to become increasingly autonomous and to gradually set up its own “bank”;
• group training courses are organised for the duration of the credit period;
• the guarantee is based on the solidarity between group members;
• every member of the group receives a credit for her/his own productive project.

This methodology ensures the renewal of the credit at the end of every cycle (4 months) to accompany the gradual increase in the amount saved by the beneficiaries. After three to five years, every group expects a level of savings sufficient to enable it to be autonomous and to no longer be dependent on credits. Nevertheless, productive activities by the beneficiaries often increases considerably, resulting in an increase in needs and justifying the granting of new loans.