Who we are
AFOS-Stiftung für Unternehmerische Entwicklungszusammenarbeit (AFOS Foundation for Entrepreneurial Development Cooperation) is based in Cologne, Germany. It is a Non-profit organisation founded by members of the Federation of Catholic Entrepreneurs (Bund Katholischer Unternehmer or BKU) in the 1990s arising from joint microfinance projects with Kolping International and Misereor, as their contribution out of Christian inspiration and responsibility to help towards self-help, self-employment and entrepreneurship.
BKU supports AFOS through its expertise gained from experience in setting up business associations with a Catholic orientation in Latin America and its network of more than 1,500 member entrepreneurs and related organizations such as the International Associations of Christian Entrepreneurs (UNIAPAC) and the Confederation of German Employers’ Association.
The objectives of AFOS are: (1) Empowerment of economically active people to take care of their families and contribute to economic growth through education and training in entrepreneurial skills, (2) Enhancement and empowerment of civil institutions and structures by strengthening their capacities. To attain these objectives, AFOS supports : (1) Capacity building of business associations and chambers; (2) Access to financial services for SMEs (microfinance); (3) Diffusion of Catholic social teaching ; (4) Building free and just societies oriented to the German concept of “Social Market Economy”.