Fondo Esperanza SpA (Fondo Esperanza) was set up by the BBVA Microfinance Foundation and the Hogar de Cristo Foundation for Charity, Help and Hope [Fundación de Beneficencia, Ayuda y Esperanza] in 2011. This social development institution is dedicated to supporting vulnerable entrepreneurs. As well as financial services, it provides training in its School for Entrepreneurs and support networks so that their lives and their communities can prosper. The institution is a leading microfinance institution in the country, specializing in group lending, a methodology it supplements with individual credits. A team of more than 600 professionals support the dreams of over 120,000 entrepreneurs, most of whom are women. The institution has a network of more than 56 branch offices covering 363 districts throughout the country, from Arica to Chiloé. With a track record of 15 years looking after vulnerable people, today Fondo Esperanza is the biggest community banking institution in Chile. With WPF support, Fondo Esperanza will be opening a new branch in La Calama.