The Foundation consolidates its partnership with Faten

€3 million to Faten, a microfinance institution established in 1999 by Save-the-Children in the Palestinian territories. Faten is registered as a non-profit limited liability company and is supervised by the Palestinian Monetary Authority (PMA). Faten’s mission is to meet the financial services needs of low- and middle-income Palestinian entrepreneurs and individuals.

The partnership between Faten and the Foundation started in 2012 and since then, 3 loans have been granted for a total amount of 4 million Euros.

As of April 2022, Faten was serving 25,981 active borrowers (33% women and 68% in rural areas) and manages a portfolio of 135,947,533 euros. The institution operates throughout the Palestinian territories (West Bank and Gaza) through a network of 35 branches and 266 employees.

The Foundation currently has 2 partners in the Palestinian territories where it is present since 2012, Faten and Acad.

To learn more about our partners, click here.

Immersion in the heart of a solidarity banker’s mission in Georgia

The Solidarity Bankers program, launched in 2018 by the Grameen Crédit Agricole Foundation and Crédit Agricole S.A., enables the Group’s employees to contribute to socially useful projects using their skills. A variety of assignments are offered, either face-to-face or remotely, to support the Foundation’s partner microfinance institutions and social and environmental impact businesses.

In this context, Anya Lounis from Crédit AGricole Leasing & Factoring and Anne Elizabeth Starr from CACIB went to Georgia for a two-week mission with Lazika Capital, a microfinance institution. Their objective was to analyze existing marketing initiatives, collaborate with local teams to develop the 2023 marketing plan and improve the management of financial product sales. Their testimonials reflect the positive impact of this experience.

Learn about their day-to-day mission on video through 3 vlog episodes :

• Episode 1: Arrival in Georgia

• Episode 2: Immersion

• Episode 3: Departure

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Anne Elizabeth Starr, CACIB’s Trade Finance Sales Manager for Financial Institutions, emphasizes the importance of the human aspect of this mission: “Anya and I had a common vision for this mission in Georgia: to accompany Lazika Capital in its objectives as best we could and to live this human adventure to the fullest! She also mentions the inspiring meetings with Lazika Capital’s farmer clients, which enriched their understanding of the local needs and culture.

Anya Lounis, Marketing Project Manager at CAL&F, shares her enthusiasm for this professional and personal experience, which allowed her to put her skills to work in the field of financial inclusion: “This opportunity allowed me to take a step back and be open-minded. With Anne Elizabeth, we had to adapt since we were not familiar with the microfinance sector.”

Lazika Capital, founded in 2000 in Georgia thanks to Oxfam UK, is a Tier 2 microfinance institution (organization with a portfolio between $10 million and $100 million). Based in Zugdidi, it operates through 18 branches in western Georgia and provides financial services to primarily rural, low- and middle-income entrepreneurs. Lazika Capital has 280 employees and 77 loan officers.

In Kazakhstan, first support to Arnur Credit

The Grameen Crédit Agricole Foundation is strengthening its commitment in Central Asia by granting a first loan of 3 million euros to Arnur Credit, a microfinance institution based in Kazakhstan. Founded in 2001 by Orda Credit, a Kazakh MFI specializing in transfer operations and business loans, Arnur Credit is registered as a limited liability company and is supervised by the Agency for Regulation and Development of the Financial Market of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Its mission is to help improve the quality of life of the economically active population of South Kazakhstan by providing microfinance services.

Arnur Credit offers loans according to the individual methodology. As of June 2022, the institution served 18,458 active borrowers (44% women and 88% in rural areas) and managed a portfolio of 52.6 million euros. It operates in the southern part of Kazakhstan (including Turkistan) through a network of 43 offices and 235 employees.

With this investment, the Foundation has, today, in the region of Eastern Europe and Central Asia, a portfolio of € 25.7 million and has 15 partner organizations supported, that is to say 24% of microfinance institutions and impact enterprises.

To learn more about our partners, click here.