Zambia—Financial Sector Deepening Zambia (FSDZ)

Client: U.K. Department for International Development

Duration: 2013-2016

Country: Zambia

Utilizing the making markets work for the poor (M4P) approach, FSDZ worked to affect systemic change and facilitate linkages and coordination among consumers, financial service providers, government, and other key market actors in Zambia. FSDZ contributed to an increase in the expansion of income opportunities or a reduction in vulnerability of 138,750 poor households and micro, small, and medium-sized businesses.

Sample Activities

Partner with financial service providers to innovate and increase outreach and delivery channels.
Support market information initiatives to build a deeper understanding of the diversity of consumers, their needs, the wide range of financial services they demand, and the variety of financial service providers they access.
Build the effectiveness of financial services and the knowledge and skills that clients need to use them.
Support improvements in the regulations, standards, and norms that guide financial markets; the payment systems, credit bureaus, and other infrastructure that supports increased supply; and information services necessary to inform all stakeholders how to better improve the market system.

Worldwide—The Invest Project

The Invest Project is a flagship U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) program to research, develop, and build “blended finance” solutions for development challenges. Blended finance uses public resources, such as USAID’s, and philanthropic funds to catalyze private capital flows in pursuit of development results and financial returns.