Engishon Microfinance Ltd. (ENGISHON) is a social enterprise offering innovative financial products, financial literacy and business education, and expanding microfinance entrepreneurship skills across rural pastoralist areas in northern Tanzania.

By leveraging mobile technology and fostering private sector grants and investment, ENGISHON promotes long-term economic empowerment and resilience for underserved pastoralists, particularly women and youth.

Seed funded by the Pastoral Women’s Council (PWC) in 2016 and operating as PWC-ENGISHON FUND LIMITED, the organisation began by providing affordable business credit to women’s economic empowerment groups who had successfully grown their group savings by making microloans to one another to grow their informal businesses.

In compliance with the Microfinance Act (Cap 407) of 2018 (regulated by the Bank of Tanzania as a Tier 2 Microfinance Institution), the company rebranded as ENGISHON MICROFINANCE LIMITED and broadened its approach to serve all pastoralists while maintaining its mission of reaching unbanked rural women and youth with products and services designed specifically to meet their unique needs.

By 2024, Engishon had reached over 7,000 pastoralists with business and entrepreneurship training, helped improve their financial literacy, and provided over 915,000,000 TZS (equivalent to USD $360,000) in revolving loans to qualifying clients. Over 80% of people directly benefitting from ENGISHON loans in 2024 are women, and over 10% are youth.

Our Value Proposition

At ENGISHON, we believe that financial inclusion is the key to unlocking the full potential of pastoralist communities in rural Tanzania. By investing in mobile banking, microfinance, and financial literacy programs, we empower individuals, particularly women and youth, to access the financial tools they need to thrive.

Through strategic partnerships, we provide customer-centric financial and business solutions that exceed expectations and create lasting impact.

Our commitment extends beyond financial services; we offer training, support, and advocacy to help clients become self-sufficient and prosperous.

By raising awareness of the challenges faced by pastoralists and advocating for their rights, ENGISHON is driving sustainable development and ensuring that no one is left behind.

Together, we are building a future where financial empowerment leads to economic resilience and long-term, community-wide prosperity.

Our People are Our Competitive Edge

ENGISHON stands apart through deep-rooted community trust and long-standing partnerships. Built on years of collaboration with the Pastoral Women’s Council, we work together with the very people we serve, empowering women and youth from within.

Our team of 11 staff and 2 volunteers aren't just familiar with the community; they are part of the community. With firsthand knowledge of the region’s cultural and socio-economic landscape, we deliver solutions that are bold, effective, and truly transformative.

Engishon Differentiation Strategy

ENGISHON stands apart by delivering targeted financial inclusion for pastoralist communities, a segment of the community often excluded from traditional financial systems.

Our approach integrates innovative, community-centred financial products with deep local engagement, focusing on the economic empowerment of women and youth within the Maasai and other rural pastoralist and agro-pastoralist groups.

Through a sustainable social enterprise model, we provide access to credit, financial literacy training, and entrepreneurship skills development, improving livelihoods while fostering financial independence.

We leverage mobile money and digital tools to reach remote areas, strengthen local microfinance institutions, and partner with private sector actors to scale impact.

By aligning financial innovation with social purpose, ENGISHON is not just offering services—we’re reshaping the financial future of underserved pastoralist communities.

Do you share our vision of a just, equitable society where unbanked indigenous pastoralists access opportunities to thrive, uplift their communities, and drive national socio-economic progress?

Contact us to find out how you can get involved:

The Case for Expanding Financial Services to Pastoralist Communities

Pastoralist communities in rural Tanzania, especially women and youth, face systemic financial barriers that limit their economic potential. Expanding access to financial services is about inclusion and is a critical step toward reducing poverty and fostering sustainable growth.

With careful community-centric design and implementation, microfinance solutions, such as those provided by ENGISHON, can overcome seemingly intractable barriers such as:

• Inaccessible Infrastructure: Poor rural infrastructure limits access to financial services and drains time from income-generating activities.

• Low Financial Literacy: Limited understanding of financial tools hinders effective resource management and economic participation.

• Reliance on Informal Systems: Without formal banking options, many turn to unreliable and risky financial alternatives.

• Digital Exclusion: A lack of digital access keeps communities disconnected from modern financial tools and services.

• Gender and Youth Inequality: Women and young people face traditional and legal barriers that restrict property ownership and loan access.

• Perpetuated Poverty: Financial exclusion traps families in cycles of poverty and economic instability.

• Systemic Barriers: Lack of collateral and formal documentation keeps pastoralists locked out of the formal economy

Financial Products and Services for Pastoralists

Group and Individual Microloans

Develop self-reliance with our accessible microloans.

Grow your business with value addition and marketplace innovation.

Entrepreneurship Skills Development

Learn financial skills for sustainable business development.

Financial Literacy and Numeracy