One year, four impact bonds, four regions
The International team at Social Finance reflect on their achievements in 2019.
In 2019, Social Finance’s International team supported the launch of four new impact bonds, across four regions, spanning multiple sectors from WASH to youth employment. We look back on these exciting new additions to the global impact bond market and look forward to what 2020 has in store.
Cameroon kangaroo mother care
April saw the launch of a $2.8 million development impact bond (DIB) that will roll out kangaroo mother care, an evidence-based programme of skin-to-skin care, to improve neonatal health outcomes in 10 hospitals across Cameroon.
The DIB will provide life-improving care for more than 2,200 premature and low birthweight newborns by 2021.
Chile literacy impact bond
In May, the first ever impact bond was launched in Chile. The $0.4 million bond will improve opportunities for children living in vulnerable contexts by raising literacy levels in 11 schools. The DIB went from concept to launch in under a year, bringing together five impact investors and five charitable foundations.
West Bank and Gaza youth employment
November saw the launch of the $5 million West Bank and Gaza Youth Employment impact bond. With $1.8 million in upfront capital, the bond will support over 1,000 young Palestinians on a pathway to sustainable employment. This new and exciting outcomes-based approach to funding skills training ties payments to sustained youth employment and ensures responsiveness to the skills needs of the local employment market.
Cambodia rural sanitation
Also in November, the $10 million Cambodia Rural Sanitation impact bond was finalised. The bond will build sanitation markets across six provinces, with the goal of enabling 1,600 villages to claim Open Defecation Free Status and increasing rural sanitation coverage to 85% in target areas by 2023.
Beyond impact bonds
Our team is designing outcomes-based approaches to a number of other issues including a financing facility for malaria and a fund for climate resilience in northern Kenya.
Real impact at scale wouldn’t be possible without the strong cross-sector partnerships we’ve developed, and we’d like to thank all of our partnering organisations. Here’s to another impactful year!
