About PCWSDA

The Pucheng County Women's Sustainable Development Association (PCWSDA) has had an excellent operational track record since it was established in 2005. Good decision-making, operating procedures, processes, and lending practices have enabled it to attain an 100% loan repayment rate.   The Association's management and staff are dedicated to the cause and are committed to be efficient and accountable. They want to reach more borrowers and are willing to change and be innovative.

About Pucheng County

Pucheng County is located in Shaanxi Province, in north central China, 120 km from Xian.  It is primarily an agricultural region with an arid climate and has population of 760,000 in 24 townships and 365 villages.

The estimated target market for PCWSDA loan services is 40,000 borrowers, based on their level of poverty, their capability to run a micro business, and their lack of access to financial services.   PCWSDA is currently covering only 5 percent of the market.  However, when it is able to reach 5,000 borrowers, or 12.5 percent of the market, it would be able to gain broader access to funding and therefore grow to cover a much higher percentage of the market.

The Chinese government has designated Pucheng County as one of the poorest counties in China, with average per capita income of less than $147/year, or $0.40/day (RMB 1000/year). Women make up 75 percent of the labor force since many men have left to find work in the cities, leaving the women to care for the elderly and children.

There is no other organization that lends to this poor population. Rural credit cooperatives, postal savings banks, and other financial institutions require collateral and lend primarily to small and medium-sized businesses rather than poor individuals.

5/18/11