TCP Global seeks partnerships introduced through PCVs as a way to reach small and remote communities, with PCVs providing an additional set of eyes and ears. The level of PCV involvement will vary depending on the policies in each Peace Corps country, but the basic guidelines are that the PCV must:

Never touch the money or be part of the applicant screening and loan collection processes.
The program must be administered by and reports submitted by host country nationals
Peace Corps may not be referenced on forms or represented in any way as sponsoring the program
The PCV simply introduces a local non-profit or group to TCP Global

Among the types of assistance that a PCV could provide are:

Help the loan administrators set up their files for accepting and screening loan applicants, tracking loans, creating a file for each borrower and establishing a system of controls and receipts
Assist the non-profit to use the TCP Global report log
Work with the non-profit to create incentives for good repayments
Participate at all levels in training workshops provided by the local administrators to ensure that borrowers are well prepared to be successful in their businesses
Support and encourage and cheerlead

Two recent (year 2020) examples of TCP expanding with PCVs in Africa include Calvin Yahn and Chris Roesel. Calvin read about TCP in the NPCA's Worldview magazine. His community had formed the nonprofit, Kabuchi Multipurpose Cooperative Society to qualify for a bee-keeping grant through the Peace Corps. TCP Global seemed like a logical next step. Kabuchi leaders signed an agreement in January and issued their first loans shortly before Calvin was evacuated. He now mentors the program from the U.S.

In January, 2020, RPCV Chris Roesel met with seven village banking groups in northern Uganda. Each woman saved $0.50 per month and the 30 members took turns borrowing from their combined savings. Most of the women had only three years of formal education but received training in basic accounting and business practices through a local non-profit. Once they experienced how access to capital improved their earnings they wanted more and bigger loans and more often. After hearding a TCP Global presentation at a NPCA gathering in March, Chris connected TCP Global to the women's groups. All expressed interest and two groups were selected for the first round. Despite an ongoing global pandemic, the first loans were issued on May 10, 2020.

Given the nature of sites where PCVs serve, a registered non-profit with a bank account is usually not possible but PCVs worked with TCP Global in several sites in Colombia to open successful programs. (See Case Studies for detail on PCVs' work as mentors).

Mentoring and Finding Partners

`Mentoring and Finding Partners`