DevA (meaning Development Access) Is a MFI-NGO established in 2008. The organization started off as an informal group focused on micro lending and capacity building to women groups. Then it was known as Development Access and Empowerment Initiative. It progressed into a cooperative. In early 2010, due to the need to offer expanded services, enhance corporate governance and spread, the organization was incorporated/registered as a company limited by guarantee and with an expanded focus and activity profile. It became known as Deva Access and Empowerment Int’l Limited/Guarantee.
DEVA is involved in Micro Enterprise Development. The organization wholly subscribes to the ideals of CGAP, Microcredit Summit Campaign and to the Principles of Micro client Protection. Its activities are rendered for and on behalf of micro clients, organizations, governments and the general public. The overriding aim of DEVA is poverty alleviation and access to wealth creation opportunities for the less and under privileged.
DEVA provides developmental access to economically active people who have difficulty or do not have access to commercial sources of funding, for starting and improving business and improving the quality of life.
We support rural communities, self help and solidarity groups, micro entrepreneurs, promote participation of women in business and offer easy access to financial services and simple and affordable technological tools in rural areas and for the underprivileged.
Through our empowerment window, we provide qualitative loan products; micro savings tools, technical support; help improve living standards, increase employment and healthcare and nutrition.
Deva realizes that low level of social awareness, inadequate knowledge of opportunities, environmental conditions, etc are contributory to the vicious circle of poverty. To this extent, Deva offers social programs and capacity building to our micro and rural clients to help raise their consciousness, change their orientation and build a sustainable drive towards integration into the mainstream economy.
Deva also engages in micro finance advocacy, consultancy, impact analysis, evaluation and project design, research and baseline studies. We undertake the designing, monitoring and management of micro finance and anti-poverty schemes for governments and corporations.
Summary of what we do:
• Microenterprise Development
• Enable access to development opportunities and availability of relevant technology at affordable rate to the underprivileged.
• Financial empowerment and inculcating of savings habits
• Employment and job creation
• Improve living standards and conditions
• Support for micro businesses and micro clients with emphasis in the rural areas and underprivileged
• Rural access with emphasis on agriculture and agricultural machinery/inputs
• Capacity building and social programs on a wide range of areas
• Work with social NGO’s in other parts of the world including Jenefa foundation in the USA.
• Engage in health and nutritional support and counseling
• Do impact and value chain analysis of poverty alleviation efforts of governments and other agencies.
• Design, monitoring and management of microfinance and anti-poverty schemes
• Microfinance consulting both within and outside Nigeria.
• Research and baseline studies on poverty, microfinance and other related issues.
• We identify and tackle one issue at a time
| “Nobody should be refused access to financial services. Because these services are so vital for self-realisation of people, I strongly feel that credit should be given the status of a human right.” – Muhammed Yunus |
Our Mission
“Create access to developmental opportunities and improve access to better living on a sustainable and long term basis through empowerment, appropriate technology, and capacity building for the underprivileged members of our society”
Our Vision
“A world of opportunities and access to development for the underprivileged”
Our Pay-Off
“Giving you a helping hand”
Our Core Values
The core values of DevA are enshrined in all facets of our work and primarily driven by empathy and respect for people whom we serve and anchored by integrity to our stakeholders and professionalism in service delivery. These values are:
ü Empathy
ü Respect
ü Integrity
ü Professionalism
ü Team Spirit
ü Dynamism
Our Model
In delivering its services to the people, we adopt our own model called The “P” or “PEOPLE” Model.
People,
Empowerment,
Opportunities,
Passion,
Leverage and
Enterprise
The “P” or “PEOPLE” model stands for:
People oriented: The institution is built on people and aims to serve the critical mass of our people – the people at the bottom of the pyramid. The over-riding and guiding focus is people – our program is gauged by people reach, people access and people success.
Empowerment: Our institution aims to empower our people economically and capacity wise with the overall aim of assisting them climb out of the poverty chain and on to the valued chain of progress.
Opportunity: We aim from the very on-set to create and avail opportunities for our people. These are opportunities to better their lot, to engage in profitable businesses, to build up savings and capacity, to benefit from financial services, appropriate technology, etc.
Passion: Our activities are individually and collectively driven by passion to serve and uplift the standards of living of our fellow citizens.
Leverage: We invite our people to leverage upon our institution. We shall also leverage upon the private sector, Local, National and Institutions and on technology to deliver high valued end services to our people and clientele.
Enterprise: We promote dynamic and viable micro enterprises. We build enterprise in our people. We are driven by the spirit of enterprise.
Work Profile
The present work profile of the organization is broken up into two categories:
1- Activities
2- Projects