Nepal Electric Vehicle Loan Fund Supports Women Entrepreneurs, Achieves 100-Percent Repayment 
While implementing the Kathmandu Electric Vehicle Alliance (KEVA) project in Nepal, Winrock staff members were approached by women entrepreneurs in need of a financing mechanism that would enable them to purchase and operate electric vehicles (EVs), a common form of public transportation in Kathmandu.

Through an internal grant provided by Winrock's Innovation Investment Program, KEVA partnered with venture capital firm Vibor to develop a financing mechanism to provide loans to women entrepreneurs to purchase their own EVs. Winrock facilitated loan approvals through a commercial bank, established an agreement between the bank and an EV charging station, and organized meetings with women entrepreneurs to disseminate information on the program. With Winrock's support, 20 women successfully received loans to buy EVs.

To mitigate the risk of loan default, Winrock established a guarantee fund with the Bank of Kathmandu (BoK). In June, Winrock learned that the total guarantee fund would be returned because there had been no defaulters. Based on this success, BoK and the charging station have extended loans to 20 additional EV drivers without the need for a guarantee fund. KEVA has improved the income of 40 local entrepreneurs, provided banks with experience in non-traditional lending sectors, and reduced greenhouse gas emissions from the public transport sector in Kathmandu.

Dairy Improvement Project Celebrates Increased Milk Production, Farm Profits and Environmental Sustainability
An open field day at the Alipov-T farm outside Almaty, Kazakhstan, attracted dozens of farmers, agricultural specialists, dairy companies and international organizations from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and other countries. The event demonstrated a successful project at Alipov-T which increased milk production on the farm by as much as 42 percent and reduced feed costs by 70 percent. "We hope that other farmers will learn by this example and also increase their productivity, reduce their costs, and enhance their revenues," said Kevin Milas, Chargé D'affaires of the U.S. Embassy in Kazakhstan.

Developed by USAID, Winrock International and several other American companies, the project introduced rotational grazing and other sustainable dairy production practices that can increase productivity, profitability, and environmental quality in Kazakhstani dairy farms. Within months,  two demonstration farms increased their milk production and reduced feed costs. Even greater increases in productivity and profitability are expected as the quality and density of the pastures continue to improve through seeding and management.

Corporate Social Responsibility Program in Indonesia Launches
A new corporate social responsibility law in Indonesia requires corporations to allocate a portion of their profits to social development. Winrock International's staff in Indonesia has developed a program to help corporations use their CSR allocation effectively, and recently completed its first assignment. Jim Roshetko and Jeff Gucker devised a community development scheme for implementation by PT Batutua Tembaga Raya (BTR), a copper mining operation on Wetar Island.

The scheme, developed collaboratively with local communities and BTR, focuses on enhancing agricultural skills and production for food security, fresh market produce for sale to the mine, and high-value horticultural products for off-island sale. Another focus is intensification of livestock production and establishment of diverse fruit tree gardens, which support both food security and market sales. The assignment report, detailing recommendations, supports BTR's community development framework, which envisions stages of development from capacity building, through interdependence to community independence over the 10-year mining operation.