The FIR Fund (Inclusive Finance in Rural areas) was created in 2018 by the Foundation to provide entities of the Crédit Agricole Group with a dedicated fund for inclusive finance worldwide. From the start, 21* Regional Banks took part, along with Amundi and Crédit Agricole Assurances, in financing 8 rural microfinance institutions operating in 8 countries across Sub-Saharan Africa, Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and Southeast Asia.

In 2023, the FIR Fund increased its investments to finance micro-entrepreneurs. Seven new loans were granted to MFIs, enabling the fund to reach a strong asset deployment rate of 80%. As of December 31, 2023, the total outstanding loan portfolio stood at €8,350,000, representing 80% of the fund’s deployed assets. These microfinance institutions in turn finance micro-entrepreneurs, 67% of whom are women, 75% located in rural areas, and 37% are farmers.
By the end of December 2023, the FIR Fund was supporting 8 microfinance institutions: Mikra in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Lazika in Georgia, Asian Credit Fund in Kazakhstan, Oxus in Kyrgyzstan, Prima Finantare in Moldova, Furuz in Tajikistan, AMZ in Zambia, and Pahal in India.

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*Alpes Provence, Alsace-Vosges, Brie Picardie, Centre-est, Centre-France, Centre Loire, Centre-Ouest, Champagne-Bourgogne, Charente-Périgord, Finistère, Franche-Comté, Ille-et-Vilaine, Languedoc, Loire-Haute Loire, Martinique-Guyane, Normandie-Seine, Provence Côte-d’Azur, Réunion, Savoie, Sud Rhône Alpes et Touraine Poitou

Solidarity Bankers is a skills volunteering program launched in 2018 by Grameen Crédit Agricole and open to all Crédit Agricole Group employees. It invites professionals from various Group entities to work for several weeks, alone or in groups, in support of microfinance institutions and impact enterprises supported by the Foundation.

Beyond the usefulness of their missions for their beneficiaries, the Solidarity Bankers evoke three-way positive effects for Crédit Agricole and the volunteers as well.

Anne Duval, HR Performance and Organization Leader, CA-TS, Delphine Testemale, Talent Careers and Diversity Manager, Crédit Agricole Centre Est, François Galland, retired from Crédit Agricole S.A. and back from Benin, and Pénélope Cellier, Audit Manager – General Inspection, CACEIS, and Thierry Boîte, Development Director, LCL, after their mission in Togo shared their experiences.

Since 2018, there is no doubt that the missions carried out by the Group’s employees have met the expectations and needs of the beneficiaries. More than 70 missions have been carried out by more than 60 Banquiers Solidaires for the benefit of 45 partners in 24 countries. More than 750 active contacts within the group, eligible for skills-based sponsorship, have also been identified, particularly through the J’agis platform since 2023.

For the Banquiers Solidaires, as Pénélope Cellier explains, a mission involves much more than just discovering the country, the workings and the culture of a microfinance institution and the people who run it locally. A personal contribution “far beyond my expectations”, emphasizes Thierry Boite.

• Strengthening expertise and personal development

Whether the mission is related to human resources, compliance or any other area of expertise, it is essential for a socially responsible banker to have a broad range of skills related to the theme of the mission, says François Galland, in order to be able to use them and benefit from them in a completely different context.

“Initially, I didn’t necessarily expect the mission to challenge me on my own daily practices and attitudes. Once I got there, I was surprised: the mission offered me concrete lessons on how to work with people from very different cultures and backgrounds. It was an enriching experience that now helps me do my job better,” says Delphine Testemale.

All are convinced that this produces a kind of mirror effect that contributes to their personal development, which they then pass on to their teams when they return.

And this is all the more true as the preparatory work can be very comprehensive and time-consuming, encouraging people to take a step back, reflect and even innovate.

• Very strong human relationships

These missions create very strong human bonds that last both professionally and personally. Anne Duval, who completed her second mission, maintains relationships with the people she met in Senegal and Benin. In particular, she plans to return to Benin to see them again and is currently organizing a clothing drive for the children.

“We were welcomed with open arms. Carrying out missions like these enables us to establish strong human relationships, authentic communication and real sharing, including on a personal level,” explains Anne Duval.

• An embodiment of the Group’s Purpose

In many ways, these missions serve the Crédit Agricole Group’s purpose and are part of its Human and Societal Projects. Usefulness, inclusion, innovation and personal development can easily be associated with them. Their added value is not limited to the beneficiaries alone but also serves the Banquiers Solidaires, more indirectly their teams and stakeholders, but also the image of Crédit Agricole and even, according to Thierry Boite, “its influence”.