Climate and Nature Action: Building low-carbon and climate-resilient and nature-positive economies, including through sustainable infrastructure
Gender Equality: Mainstreaming gender equality in investment activities to support women’s economic empowerment, gender equality, and improve business performance
Market Development: Developing markets to support quality job creation, capital markets, and access to finance as well as products and services that raise living standards and add value to the economy
2X Challenge: The 2X Challenge is an initiative that seeks to support businesses that provide women in emerging economies with access to leadership opportunities, quality employment, and products and services that enhance their economic participation and inclusion
Technical Assistance Facility: Targeted grant support to private sector clients that, directly or indirectly, improves their development outcomes, addresses gaps in knowledge or tools and seeks to support the business environments in the countries, regions, or sectors in which we operate
About Alianza del Valle
Alianza del Valle is a leading financial cooperative providing services to micro-enterprises and individuals. It is the sixth major financial cooperative in Ecuador, with innovative online services that respond to the needs of its rural clients. FinDev Canada works with financial intermediaries like Alianza del Valle - a cooperative based in Ecuador - to provide much-needed liquidity to micro, small and medium-sized enterprises.
FinDev Canada’s financial commitment: $7.5M
About Nelly’s Retail Store
With a loan from Alianza del Valle, Nelly Suntasi, a 43-year-old mother of two, opened her second clothing store in the El Tejar Shopping Center in Quito, the capital city of Ecuador, in 2022.
“I feel very satisfied knowing that Alianza del Valle could support me with a loan that helped me expand and buy merchandise for my shops, also for my home and the education of my children.”
Alianza del Valle’s Impact
Our investment in Alianza del Valle supports the following SDGs:
Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
Promote inclusive and sustainable economic growth, employment and decent work for all
Quito, Ecuador
With a population of nearly 17 million1, Ecuador has an economy that heavily relies on micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), which account for 60% of the country’s employment2. Quito’s economy thrives on a diverse mix of sectors, including trade, tourism, and manufacturing.
Ana María Buitrón
Ana María Buitrón is an audiovisual storyteller and documentary photographer based in Ecuador. Her work and personal projects explore the search for identity, gender issues, and the environment. She has received grants from her work from the National Geographic Society in 2020 and the Sustainable Development Goals funds for journalism in Latin America in 2019. Her clients include El País, Bloomberg, and Zeit Germany, as well as organizations including the United Nations, Conservation International, and CARE. Her work has exhibited in the United States, Ecuador, Bolivia, Chile, and China. She is a member of the photography organizations Everyday Ecuador and Women Photograph.
“The exciting thing about photography is that it allows us to immerse ourselves in life stories that move and challenge us as human beings. Nelly Suntasi is an inspiring woman; through her daily life, she shows us how love for life, family, and independence drives her dedicated work. These moments, captured in photographs, portray the reality of a country (Ecuador) and the women who inhabit it.”
