The Vitas Group is a commercial holding company created by Global Communities to provide responsible micro, small and medium enterprise finance to populations that are not served well by formal financial markets. Vitas was founded on the belief that every client deserves a financial partner that is invested in their future. Over two decades of successful lending, Vitas companies have disbursed billions of dollars to millions of customers with an annual default rate below two percent.
Leveraging Partnerships
Vitas serves as a vehicle for impact investors, leveraging partnerships to expand the reach of our development finance services. Our partners span the private sector, from ride-hailing apps to payment processing companies, large retailers and online merchants, all working together to support growth and job creation in developing markets and challenging circumstances.
Innovation and Technology
Vitas Group is driven by innovation rooted in customer centricity. We launched Vitas Lab in 2020 to test new ideas and drive responsible finance innovation, create new products and identify new partnerships.
We are investing in new technology and ambitious digitization initiatives, working to develop and deliver end-to-end digital lending platforms to clients around the world.
Vitas Lab designed and launched its first pilot in supply chain financing with Toters, a Lebanese delivery app, to expand credit access for thousands of merchants in Lebanon and drivers in Iraq. This is one of several flagship partnerships in the pilot phase that is the cornerstone to Vitas’ value offering of responsible finance through digital rails.
Responding to Economic Disruptions
In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic presented a massive shock to the world economy. Vitas’ employees and customers alike suffered business disruptions, broken supply chains, heightened food insecurity, lockdowns and curfews, and the emotional toll that comes with continued health risks and economic uncertainty. Yet, transformative investments in digital technology allowed lending to continue and businesses to recover in neighborhoods around the world.
When governments and central banks forced Vitas’ physical doors to close temporarily, it accelerated digital loan applications through Facebook and other channels in order to keep operating and disbursing loans, no matter what. Vitas launched consumption and emergency loan products as well as top-ups to existing customers to weather the disruptions and look ahead to a long-term recovery.
Beyond the pandemic, Vitas companies and customers faced an economic and political crisis in Lebanon and massive destruction and devastation in Gaza. Yet, in the face of all 2020’s challenges, Vitas demonstrated not only resilience but forward progress, working with customers who still found ways to grow their local economies, create jobs and generate meaningful business opportunities that brought value to their communities.
Our Approach
The Vitas Group shares Global Communities’ values and holistic approach to financial inclusion. Learnings and innovations from Vitas companies are leveraged across Global Communities’ portfolio of humanitarian response and sustainable development programs, ensuring continuous improvement across all sectors. Our priorities include:
- Microfinance
- Small and Medium-sized Enterprise Finance
- Housing Finance
- Disability Loans
- Education and other services
Learn more by visiting https://www.vitasgroup.com.
Our work in this area reaches
Resources
Briefs & Case Studies
Resilience, Rebuilding and Humanitarian Assistance: Lebanon Focus
Global Communities has implemented community-driven humanitarian assistance programs for decades, responding to the needs of millions of families in countries around the globe. From natural disasters, to armed conflict, to social and economic upheaval, we are there to meet the humanitarian needs of vulnerable people affected by crisis. We work in partnership with a range…
Research & Publications
Vitas Group COVID-19 Impact Survey Report
The COVID-19 crisis has severely impacted the business community around the world. Small businesses in developing economies have been hit particularly hard. Countries like Iraq and Lebanon were experiencing social and political unrest as the pandemic struck, while Jordan and Palestine were already facing economic recessions, further compounding their problems. This report summarizes the results…
