Categoría: News

Ficohsa published its 2021 Sustainability Report in July, highlighting our continued success in financial inclusion, ethical banking, and investing in environmentally sustainable projects.

Launching the report, our Executive President, Camilo Atala Faraj, said,

Given Ficohsa’s size, strength, and importance to the economy, we have a responsibility to drive positive change.  I am proud of the progress we have made by investing in our staff, our customers, the natural environment and – through the Ficohsa Foundation – the wider community.

Camilo Atala faraj

Highlights of Ficohsa’s Sustainability Report 2021 include:

• The Banker awarded Ficohsa its Bank of the Year for Financial Inclusion.  And we were honored at the Championing the Female Economy Awards 2021.

• Banco Ficohsa now supports over 21,000 SMEs in Central America, of which over 50% are women-led.  Through loans and technical support, Ficohsa enables these businesses to grow, creating sustainable jobs for thousands of people.

• Our De Mi Tierra program provides access to financing and technical training for agricultural producers in rural areas of Honduras.

• The Ficohsa Foundation for Early Childhood Education has now benefitted 145,000 pre-school children since its inception in 2000.

Ficohsa’s 2021 Sustainability Report is available here.  

In August, the Mayor of La Ceiba, Bader Dip, presented Juan Carlos Atala, President of the Ficohsa Foundation, with the keys to the city in honor of the great work that the Foundation has undertaken in recent years in this city located at the north of Honduras.

The Martha de Rivera Preschool Center, the Foundation’s first preschool center in the beautiful city of La Ceiba, was founded in 2,000.  Since then, the Foundation has opened a further 8 preschool centers in the city.  Combined, the 9 preschool centers of La Ceiba have provided education to over 7,800 boys and girls over the years.

Depending on what is needed, the Ficohsa Foundation builds, rebuilds, or improves each preschool center.  The Foundation delivers the construction materials, and building work is carried out in partnership with local communities.  Crucially, the Foundation’s commitments – including maintaining the buildings, supplying furniture and school materials, providing a daily snack for each student, and funding teacher training – is permanent.

In 2021, the Foundation rebuilt two preschool centers in La Ceiba that were damaged by Hurricane Eta and Hurricane Iota, as well as other 15 preschool centers nationwide.

Juan Carlos Atala, commented,

At Fundación Ficohsa, we believe in the value of educating our children, who are the future of our country.  That is why we have been working in La Ceiba for more than 20 years and we hope there will be many more years to come.

juan carlos atala

The Ficohsa Foundation is grateful for the support of our partners DEG, TranRe, and the Municipality of La Ceiba.

Read more about the work of the Ficohsa Foundation here.