Thematic Areas
The cross-cutting themes through which FIRIP delivers inclusive, resilient and green rural finance across Zambia.
Community-Based Finance
FIRIP strengthens the role of Community-Based Financial Institutions through digitization, linkages to formal FSPs, and gender-transformative approaches.
Digital Financial Services (DFS)
FIRIP supports the expansion of digital financial services, such as agency and mobile banking, particularly in underserved rural areas.
Community Engagement
Policy is only as effective as its implementation. We actively engage with local leaders and citizens to ensure our financial inclusion initiatives meet real-world needs.
- check_circle Townhall meetings in all 10 provinces
- check_circle Partnerships with local traditional leadership
- check_circle Continuous feedback for policy refinement
Community-Based Finance
Digitisation, FSP linkages and gender-transformative approaches
FIRIP strengthens the role of Community-Based Financial Institutions through digitization, linkages to formal FSPs, and gender-transformative approaches.
FIRIP strengthens the role of Community-Based Financial Institutions (CBFIs), which are for many rural households the first and only point of contact with formal savings and credit. The project works on three fronts: digitising CBFI record-keeping and transactions, building linkages between CBFIs and formal Financial Service Providers, and applying gender-transformative approaches that encourage joint decision-making at the household level.
Digital Financial Services (DFS)
Delivered through Window 1 of the Innovation and Outreach Facility
FIRIP supports the expansion of digital financial services, such as agency and mobile banking, particularly in underserved rural areas.
FIRIP supports the expansion of Digital Financial Services (DFS), such as agency and mobile banking, particularly in underserved rural areas where physical branch networks are not commercially viable. Support is provided through Window 1 of the Innovation and Outreach Facility (IOF), in collaboration with the Bank of Zambia and the Zambia Information and Communications Technology Authority (ZICTA). Working with the regulators keeps product innovation aligned with the wider national payments and consumer-protection agenda.