Country
Colombia

Local project partner
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German project partner
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Donor
GIZ

Duration
01.12.2025 - 30.06.2027

Due to its 50-year armed conflict, Colombia is now home to nearly 10 million displaced people, making it one of the largest groups of internally displaced persons in the world. The majority of internally displaced persons live in poor settlements on the outskirts of cities, where access to basic public services is limited. Many of these people have experienced trauma related to the armed conflict. Due to a lack of education, economic resources, and opportunities in the local labor market, most displaced people resort to small and informal businesses. Providing financial and entrepreneurship training for MSMEs, as well as access to the formal financial sector, can be key factors in reducing the ongoing vulnerability, economic exclusion, and poverty of displaced people in Colombia.

The project aims to improve the financial inclusion of internally displaced persons with small or medium-sized enterprises by strengthening institutions, providing access to financial and entrepreneurial education, and creating a target group-oriented financial instrument. Regionally, the project focuses on southwestern Colombia as a priority area for German bilateral cooperation.

Tasks
The project focuses on the ongoing challenges faced by internally displaced persons, with a particular emphasis on women and members of the LGBTIQ+ community. Through technical assistance and advisory services on both the supply and demand sides, the project aims to create sustainable opportunities for the target group. In this context, there will be close collaboration with civil society organizations and a local financial institution, and direct capacity-building activities for the target group will be at the center of the project’s work.