SPBD is a network of microfinance organizations working in Fiji, Samoa, Tonga and the Solomon Islands dedicated to eradicating poverty by empowering women in poor rural villages with the opportunity to start, grow and maintain sustainable, income generating micro-enterprises.

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What We Do

South Pacific Business Development (SPBD) fights poverty by empowering women, providing credit to those who need it most. To more fully understand SPBD it is necessary to realize why we chose to work in the South Pacific, why we dedicate ourselves to microfinance, how we work and what our impact has been so far.

SPBD uses a modified Grameen Bank methodology. In essence:

  • SPBD Provides unsecured financing to underprivileged women
  • Clients must use their funds to run micro-businesses
  • They must attend weekly meetings and all business is conducted during the weekly center meetings in the villages
  • All clients are in self-formed groups of 4-7 women
  • The group co-guarantees all loans of its members
  • Subsequent financing is available, but failure to attend meetings, make payments or honor guarantees will negatively affect subsequent financing
  • Financing is available for housing improvement and childhood education
  • Savings and Death Benefits are also available
  • SPBD Samoa, SPBD Tonga, SPBD Fiji, the SPBD Solomon Islands and SPBD Vanuatu together already serve over 56,000 loan clients and savings clients

SPBD has clearly proven that the poor in the South Pacific are bankable and that microcredit is a great enabler towards ending global poverty.