Carolina Viguet, Head of Communication & Partnerships, GCAF

Three years after its launch, the success of the Solidarity Bankers programme has confirmed the commitment of our employees and the Group’s desire to support projects with a social impact. Since 2018, the programme has included 28 missions launched in around fifteen countries with 19 organisations supported by the Grameen Crédit Agricole Foundation. 316 days of missions have been planned or carried out by 34 Solidarity Bankers.

An impact project with the Grameen Crédit Agricole Foundation

Launched by the Grameen Crédit Agricole Foundation and Crédit Agricole S.A. in 2018, Solidarity Bankers is a skills-based volunteer programme open to all Crédit Agricole Group employees, assisting microfinance institutions and high-impact businesses supported by the Foundation.

The objective of the “Solidarity Bankers” programme is twofold: it enables Crédit Agricole Group employees to enhance their skills and while providing additional support to microfinance institutions and partner companies of the Grameen Crédit Agricole Foundation. This is the first time that a partnership of this type has been launched by the Crédit Agricole Group.

Senegal, Morocco, Cambodia … a great success

Some emblematic missions of the programme :

• With the support of Crédit Agricole de Franche-Comté, a solidarity banker left for two years to help La Laiterie improve the structure of the dairy sector in Senegal. Another Crédit Agricole CIB solidarity banker left for two weeks to support KOSSAM SDE, a dairy subsidiary, in the rollout of a digital application. Other missions in support of La Laiterie are planned for 2022.
• A Solidarity Banker from Crédit Agricole S.A. carried out a mission in cooperation with Crédit du Maroc to improve the systems for combating money laundering and the financing of terrorism (AML-CFT) of the Al Karama Foundation, which offers microloans to low-income people in Morocco.
• In Cambodia, a Solidarity Banker left for two weeks, with the support of Crédit Agricole Val de France, to assist Cirque Phare (PPSE), a social enterprise that promotes the inclusion and empowerment of young people through Cambodian culture and arts, in improving its financial management and organisational structure.

“There is no doubt this experience exceeded my expectations, both in terms of the mission carried out and on a human level.” Olivier Mancini, Collections Manager at Crédit Agricole du Languedoc, who carried out a mission in September 2021 supporting OXUS in Tajikistan. Read about his experience here.

“I especially remember a warm welcome and great encounters.” Andreas Brunner, Internal Audit Supervisor at Crédit Agricole Assurances, who carried out a mission in October 2021 supporting OXUS in Kyrgyzstan. Read about his experience here.

Missions to be filled

Some missions are still to be filled and others are being planned for 2022 :

• AML-CFT” mission supporting SEF in South Africa
• A “Digital Strategy mission supporting OXUS in Kyrgyzstan
• AML-CFT mission supporting Bimas in Kenya

With this programme, the Crédit Agricole Group is strengthening its Societal Project alongside the Grameen Crédit Agricole Foundation in order to promote more inclusive finance.

You can find more information on the missions here.

To apply, send your CV and a motivational paragraph to Carolina Viguet : carolina.viguet@credit-agricole-sa.fr

During the second half of 2021, the Grameen Crédit Agricole Foundation granted new fundings in Europe and Central Asia, including a first funding to Furuz, a new partner in Tajikistan. At the end of December 2021, the Grameen Crédit Agricole Foundation had 81 partners in 37 countries and was managing a portfolio of €82 million, 46% of which are located in fragile countries.

In Moldova, the Foundation granted a new loan to the microfinance institution Smart Credit for an amount equivalent to €580,000. Smart Credit is a microfinance institution created in 2010 to help clients improve their living conditions, especially among socially disadvantaged small entrepreneurs. The institution offers loans according to the individual methodology. To date, Smart Credit serves 3,253 clients, 54% of whom are women and 69% live in rural areas.

The Foundation also granted two new loans to Lazika in Georgia for a total amount equivalent to €1.4 million. Lazika is a microfinance institution created in 2000 by Oxfam Great Britain. Its mission is to facilitate the access of low- and middle-income entrepreneurs to financial services tailored to their needs. Currently, Lazika serves nearly 15,000 clients, 49% of whom are women and 69% live in rural areas.

In Kazakhstan, the Foundation also provided new funding to Asian Credit Fund (ACF), for an amount in local currency equivalent to €1 million. ACF was created in 1997 and its mission is to provide financial and development products and services to low-income households. ACF’s financial services are designed to promote the development of rural households, the growth of small businesses and home ownership. The institution has nearly 27,000 clients, 93% of whom live in rural areas, and 70% are women.

In Tajikistan, the Foundation granted initial funding to Furuz, a new partner, for an amount in local currency equivalent to €500,000. Furuz is a microfinance institution that started its activities in 1999 as part of the microenterprise development programme of the NGO Millenium Relief and Development Services. The institution offers financial services to small businesses. Furuz has over 5,000 clients, 30% of whom are women and 81% live in rural areas.

For further information, click here.

During the second half of 2021, the Grameen Crédit Agricole Foundation carried out 7 new financing in Subsaharan Africa. To date, the Foundation manages a portfolio of €83 million, 34% of which is in Subsaharan Africa.

In Kenya, the Foundation granted a new loan to the microfinance institution Bimas for an amount in local currency equivalent to €800,000. Bimas is a microfinance institution whose mission is to offer innovative financial and non-financial services to people living in rural areas. Bimas has nearly 18,400 customers, 59% of whom are women and 86% rural customers. The Foundation also granted a new loan to ECLOF Kenya for an amount in local currency equivalent to 1.2 million euros. ECLOF Kenya is a microfinance institution whose mission is to enable clients to realize their projects through the provision of related financial and non-financial services. To date, the institution has more than 38,000 clients, 63% of whom are women.

In Benin, the Foundation granted a new loan to the microfinance institution Renaca for an amount in local currency equivalent to €1.5 million. Renaca is a microfinance institution that aims at strengthening the economic base of vulnerable rural, peri-urban and urban populations. The institution has nearly 41,000 clients, 40% of whom live in rural areas and 57% are women.

In Burkina Faso, the Foundation granted a new loan to the microfinance institution ACEP Burkina for an amount in local currency equivalent to €2 million. ACEP Burkina is a microfinance institution that offers financial services that are accessible to people excluded from the traditional banking sector. ACEP Burkina is aimed mainly at micro, small and medium-sized enterprises in urban and peri-urban areas. It finances nearly 18,000 clients, 21% of whom are women, and operates only in urban areas.

In Cameroon, the Foundation granted a loan to another institution of the ACEP network, ACEP Cameroon, for an amount in local currency equivalent to €2 million. ACEP Cameroon is a microfinance institution that supports the development of Very Small Enterprises in the country’s urban centers. To date, the institution has around 15,000 clients, 34% of whom are women and 28% live in rural areas.

In Uganda, VisionFund Uganda received a loan equivalent to €400,000. VisionFund Uganda is a microfinance institution and a subsidiary of World Vision. The institution operates nationwide in Uganda with 23 branches. VisionFund Uganda has expanded its outreach to the West Nile region to serve refugees and their host communities through a pilot project conducted by the Grameen Crédit Agricole Foundation. Today the institution has nearly 45,000 clients, 95% of whom live in rural areas and 59% are women.

Finally, the Foundation granted a €600,000 loan to LAPO in Sierra Leone. Lauched in 2008, the institutions mainly grants microcredits to women in disadvantaged areas. Today, LAPO is one of the largest microfinance institutions in the country and covers around 80% of the national territory.  As of today, the institution has around 23,000 clients, 93% of whom are women and 84% live in rural areas.

For further information, click here.