A Strawberry Farmer’s Journey with Credit

Thanks to a USAID guarantee to her local bank, Xhevrije (jev ree yay) was able to secure a loan to grow her strawberry business. 
Thanks to her loan, Xhevrije has more than doubled her business, quadrupled her staff, and set an example for other female entrepreneurs in Kosovo.

Video Transcript 
Kosovo 30% of Kosovo’s labor force is unemployed. 30% of the population lives below the poverty line. Farming employs 35% of Kosovo’s total labor force. Yet the agricultural sector receives a mere 4.1% of total bank lending. But things are changing... This is Xhevrije (Jev ree yay). USAID partnered with Xhevrije’s local bank by providing a loan guarantee encouraging increased lending in the agriculture sector. Enabling Xhevrije to get a loan to more than double her business and quadruple her workforce. All because she had access to credit through a loan guarantee. USAID has been providing loan guarantees to banks throughout Kosovo to mobilize financing so that businesses like Xhevrije’s can get the capital they need to grow. Based on this success, the Government of Kosovo created its own Kosovo Credit Guarantee Fund enabling thousands more like Xhevrije to achieve their dreams.