https://www.gca-foundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/yunus-fr.png10801920Anais Pantzerhttps://www.gca-foundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/logo-gca-fondation-fr.pngAnais Pantzer2026-07-27 10:45:462026-07-27 12:50:59Episode 6: The Three Zeros Economy with Professor Muhammad Yunus: Building a world without poverty, unemployment, and zero net carbon emissions
Grameen Credit-Agricole Foundation OXUS Amankulovo Shirimbubu Woner of 2.5 hectares of sugar beet. She bought beet plants using her 8th loans Zatbek Samamkhan Furnitures shop She belongs on a group Loan of 700,000 tenges To buy stock Interview with her loan officer Lyailiya Bimenova
Measuring the true impact: the experience of 271 women in Kyrgyzstan
As a partner of OXUS Kyrgyzstan, We participated in an impact study conducted by the firm leonardo.impact, in collaboration with the local service provider M-Vector. Between November and December 2025, we interviewed 271 women borrowers across Kyrgyzstan to measure the true impact of microfinance services on their lives.
Significant progress, but persistent challenges
The results are compelling: 83% of women report improved income and better quality of life, while 78% feel more confident in their financial decisions. However, the study reveals significant challenges: 26% of women face significant vulnerability regarding financial resilience, and 15% of women report being completely excluded from decisions about how their loan is used.
Beyond credit: towards sustainable empowerment
This study illuminates the path forward: beyond credit alone, sustainable transformation requires integrating savings, insurance, and financial education to convert economic gains into genuine empowerment.
https://www.gca-foundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/kirghizstan-oxus-didier-gentilhomme-1-scaled.jpg17092560Anais Pantzerhttps://www.gca-foundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/logo-gca-fondation-fr.pngAnais Pantzer2026-07-08 11:13:172026-08-18 17:11:27Study on OXUS women clients in Kyrgyzstan
This edition of "Field News" celebrates the 2026 International Year of Woman Farmer by highlighting the work of four partners of the Grameen Credit Agricole Foundation: Kashf Foundation in Pakistan, Mikra in Bosnia-Herzegovina, MicroLoan Foundation in Malawi, and OXUS in Tajikistan.
Through inspiring testimonies, the article demonstrates how financial inclusion, technical training, and capacity building can improve significantly the lives of women farmers. Although their contributions to food security and community resilience often remain invisible and underfunded, these initiatives show that meaningful change is possible.
Women like Mumtaz in Pakistan, Jasminka in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Mary in Malawi, and Zinnatoy in Tajikistan embody this transformation. They illustrate how access to credit, to saving, to insurance, to modern agricultural knowledge, and support networks enable them to develop thriving enterprises, strengthen the resilience of their households, and become agents of economic and climate change in their communities.
These experiences underscore a shared conviction: investing in women farmers is not merely a matter of equality, it is a necessity for sustainable economic growth, food security, and climate adaptation.
Discover how financial inclusion and community support are redefining the conditions for success for farmers around the world, and how our partners' models in Pakistan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Malawi and Tajikistan can be adapted to different contexts.
https://www.gca-foundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/mary-mlf-1.png267356Anais Pantzerhttps://www.gca-foundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/logo-gca-fondation-fr.pngAnais Pantzer2026-06-30 10:47:382026-06-30 17:11:03Celebrating the Women Who Feed the World
https://www.gca-foundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/mary-mlf-1.png267356Anais Pantzerhttps://www.gca-foundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/logo-gca-fondation-fr.pngAnais Pantzer2026-06-30 10:38:492026-09-02 09:11:57No. 6: Celebrating the women who feed the world
https://www.gca-foundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/kirghizstan-oxus-didier-gentilhomme-1-scaled.jpg17092560Anais Pantzerhttps://www.gca-foundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/logo-gca-fondation-fr.pngAnais Pantzer2026-06-29 15:18:062026-08-20 12:18:03Study on OXUS female customers in Kyrgyzstan
https://www.gca-foundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/save-the-date.png7281414Anais Pantzerhttps://www.gca-foundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/logo-gca-fondation-fr.pngAnais Pantzer2026-06-29 10:09:392026-06-29 10:09:52Conference between Professor Muhammad Yunus and Minister Aurore Bergé
Nobel Peace Prize laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus participated in 50th Board of Directors Meeting of the Foundation May 28, 2026, thus marking eighteen years of fruitful partnership between the Grameen Trust and the Foundation.
Arriving in Paris on May 27, Professor Yunus led a delegation including key figures from the Grameen movement, including Md. Ashraful Hassan, Vice President of the Foundation, Lamiya Morshed, Executive Director of the Yunus Center, and Shazeeb M Khairul Islam, Managing Director of YY Ventures.
During the welcome dinner, Professor Yunus spoke with Eric Vial, the new Chairman of the Crédit Agricole Group, alongside senior executives Olivier Gavalda, Raphaël Appert, Chairman of the Foundation and Véronique Faujour, its general delegate.
The following day, May 28, Professor Yunus participated in a public meeting alongside Aurore Bergé, Minister for Gender Equality and the Fight Against Discrimination. This conference, moderated by Véronique Faujour, brought together more than 150 people.
Professor Yunus shared his vision with the audience... Three zeros: zero poverty, zero unemployment, zero net carbon emissions. Using the metaphor of Aladdin's lamp, he reminded them that the world belongs to the youth, endowed with unprecedented power. "You are born with Aladdin's lamp in your hand. If you ask for a cup of coffee, you waste the magic. But if you ask to end poverty and create a world with three zeros, the genie will grant your wish," he declared, inviting young people to dare to reimagine the world.
The Professor also shared lessons learned from the July uprising in Bangladesh, where students, including many women, led a peaceful revolution against corruption, illustrating the transformative potential of engaged youth. "Suddenly, the streets filled with girls and young women on the front lines," he recounted.
Minister Aurore Bergé reminded everyone that Inclusion is not a cost, but a strategic investment. «The greatest risk we face is not failure, but indifference,» she stated. The Minister emphasized the need to rethink public policies to prevent exclusion from the outset, rather than correcting it after the fact. She stressed that societies thrive when women and marginalized groups have equal access to opportunities.
Professor Yunus's presence at this 50th Board of Trustees meeting represents much more than a simple visit: It reaffirms the unwavering commitment of the Grameen Crédit Agricole Foundation to the issues of financial inclusion and economic empowerment.
As Professor Yunus reminded us: "Let's create a new civilization. The world belongs to the youth. It's up to them to think big and show imagination! »"A call that resonates more than ever, as the Foundation continues its commitment through its LIFT 2028 strategic plan to build fairer, more egalitarian and more prosperous societies for all.
https://www.gca-foundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/fondation-grameen-credit-agricole-28-06-2026-08-scaled.jpg17072560Philippe Guichanduthttps://www.gca-foundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/logo-gca-fondation-fr.pngPhilippe Guichandut2026-06-11 14:26:522026-06-17 11:00:52Professor Muhammad Yunus honored at the Foundation's 50th Board of Trustees meeting
https://www.gca-foundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/jerome-gabriel-fr.png10801920Philippe Guichanduthttps://www.gca-foundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/logo-gca-fondation-fr.pngPhilippe Guichandut2026-06-02 16:57:292026-06-30 11:16:13Episode 5: From McKinsey to the Congo – Jérôme Gabriel's vision for conservation, peace, and prosperity
The Grameen Crédit Agricole Foundation continues its podcast series featuring stories of Grameen family leaders who are reshaping the landscape of inclusive finance and social business worldwide. In this fifth episode, we meet Jérôme Gabriel, head of economic development at the Virunga Foundation, to explore his remarkable journey, from management consulting to the creation of a revolutionary model that unites conservation, peacebuilding and inclusive finance in one of the world's most challenging regions.
What you'll discover
Jérôme Gabriel shares how the Virunga Foundation has evolved., moving from managing Africa's oldest national park to being a pioneer in integrated conservation and economic development. Discover how innovative approaches to renewable energy, smart meter technology and inclusive microfinance are creating decent livelihoods, reducing deforestation and directly contributing to peacebuilding in North Kivu, one of the most fragile regions of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Key Highlights
· The power of inspiration: How a Netflix documentary transformed a McKinsey consultant's career path towards conservation and social impact
· Understanding the interconnected crisis The complex challenges facing North Kivu range from volcanic eruptions and floods linked to climate change to deforestation caused by poverty and armed conflict.
· An innovative integrated model How the Virunga Foundation combines conservation and economic development, recognizing that the park's survival depends on the ability of local communities to have decent livelihoods
· Innovation through smart technology The revolutionary use of smart meters as the foundation of financial services, enabling microfinance without traditional banking infrastructure
· From electricity to entrepreneurship How electrification has catalyzed the creation of SMEs (93% of SMEs were created after electrification) and opened pathways to formal employment for former members of armed groups
· Direct impact on peace The measurable link between job creation and peacebuilding – 10,130 jobs created by Virunga-supported businesses are held by former members of armed groups
· Agroforestry as a transformation An innovative approach combining microfinance for reforestation with the development of value chains in palm oil and cocoa, where payments for environmental services can cancel debt and create sustainable incentives for conservation
Why this matters
In a region where poverty, environmental degradation, and armed conflict are deeply intertwined, Jérôme Gabriel's approach demonstrates that Inclusive finance, when strategically designed and grounded in an understanding of local realities, can be a powerful tool for peacebuilding, climate resilience and sustainable development.
Perfect for
Impact investors, social entrepreneurs, development professionals, policymakers, non-profit leaders, peacebuilding advocates, climate action champions, and all those passionate about creating meaningful change through finance, conservation and social business in challenging contexts.
Key quote
«The survival of the park and everything else depends on the ability of local communities to have decent livelihoods. When we invest in infrastructure, renewable energy, and empower people to start their own businesses, we create a real and positive impact on the armed groups in the region.» – Jérôme Gabriel
Listen now and be inspired by a leader who truly makes a difference in one of the world's most complex environments.
«"A path to change in inclusive finance and social business"» – Where impact meets innovation.
Subscribe Subscribe to our podcast series to stay informed about upcoming episodes featuring other transformative leaders from the Grameen family who are creating change across continents and sectors.
https://www.gca-foundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/jerome-gabriel-fr-2-e1779111447421.png9921542Philippe Guichanduthttps://www.gca-foundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/logo-gca-fondation-fr.pngPhilippe Guichandut2026-06-02 16:08:372026-06-30 11:36:30Podcast: A Journey for change in Inclusive Finance and Social Entrepreneurship #5
https://www.gca-foundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/capture-decran-2026-02-02-a-101444.png10871919Anais Pantzerhttps://www.gca-foundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/logo-gca-fondation-fr.pngAnais Pantzer2026-05-19 10:07:062026-09-02 09:11:16No. 5: Inclusive insurance in Rwanda, lessons from a field experience
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Episode 6: The Three Zeros Economy with Professor Muhammad Yunus: Building a world without poverty, unemployment, and zero net carbon emissions
Study on OXUS women clients in Kyrgyzstan
Grameen Credit-Agricole Foundation OXUS Amankulovo Shirimbubu Woner of 2.5 hectares of sugar beet. She bought beet plants using her 8th loans Zatbek Samamkhan Furnitures shop She belongs on a group Loan of 700,000 tenges To buy stock Interview with her loan officer Lyailiya Bimenova
Measuring the true impact: the experience of 271 women in Kyrgyzstan
As a partner of OXUS Kyrgyzstan, We participated in an impact study conducted by the firm leonardo.impact, in collaboration with the local service provider M-Vector. Between November and December 2025, we interviewed 271 women borrowers across Kyrgyzstan to measure the true impact of microfinance services on their lives.
Significant progress, but persistent challenges
The results are compelling: 83% of women report improved income and better quality of life, while 78% feel more confident in their financial decisions. However, the study reveals significant challenges: 26% of women face significant vulnerability regarding financial resilience, and 15% of women report being completely excluded from decisions about how their loan is used.
Beyond credit: towards sustainable empowerment
This study illuminates the path forward: beyond credit alone, sustainable transformation requires integrating savings, insurance, and financial education to convert economic gains into genuine empowerment.
➡️ More information here: Report OKG x GCAF x leonardo
Celebrating the Women Who Feed the World
Celebrating the Women Who Feed the World
This edition of "Field News" celebrates the 2026 International Year of Woman Farmer by highlighting the work of four partners of the Grameen Credit Agricole Foundation: Kashf Foundation in Pakistan, Mikra in Bosnia-Herzegovina, MicroLoan Foundation in Malawi, and OXUS in Tajikistan.
Through inspiring testimonies, the article demonstrates how financial inclusion, technical training, and capacity building can improve significantly the lives of women farmers. Although their contributions to food security and community resilience often remain invisible and underfunded, these initiatives show that meaningful change is possible.
Women like Mumtaz in Pakistan, Jasminka in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Mary in Malawi, and Zinnatoy in Tajikistan embody this transformation. They illustrate how access to credit, to saving, to insurance, to modern agricultural knowledge, and support networks enable them to develop thriving enterprises, strengthen the resilience of their households, and become agents of economic and climate change in their communities.
These experiences underscore a shared conviction: investing in women farmers is not merely a matter of equality, it is a necessity for sustainable economic growth, food security, and climate adaptation.
Discover how financial inclusion and community support are redefining the conditions for success for farmers around the world, and how our partners' models in Pakistan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Malawi and Tajikistan can be adapted to different contexts.
➡️ More information here: 2026: International Year of the Woman Farmer
🔗 Full article via this link
No. 6: Celebrating the women who feed the world
Study on OXUS female customers in Kyrgyzstan
Conference between Professor Muhammad Yunus and Minister Aurore Bergé
Professor Muhammad Yunus honored at the Foundation's 50th Board of Trustees meeting
Nobel Peace Prize laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus participated in 50th Board of Directors Meeting of the Foundation May 28, 2026, thus marking eighteen years of fruitful partnership between the Grameen Trust and the Foundation.
Arriving in Paris on May 27, Professor Yunus led a delegation including key figures from the Grameen movement, including Md. Ashraful Hassan, Vice President of the Foundation, Lamiya Morshed, Executive Director of the Yunus Center, and Shazeeb M Khairul Islam, Managing Director of YY Ventures.
During the welcome dinner, Professor Yunus spoke with Eric Vial, the new Chairman of the Crédit Agricole Group, alongside senior executives Olivier Gavalda, Raphaël Appert, Chairman of the Foundation and Véronique Faujour, its general delegate.
The following day, May 28, Professor Yunus participated in a public meeting alongside Aurore Bergé, Minister for Gender Equality and the Fight Against Discrimination. This conference, moderated by Véronique Faujour, brought together more than 150 people.
Professor Yunus shared his vision with the audience... Three zeros: zero poverty, zero unemployment, zero net carbon emissions. Using the metaphor of Aladdin's lamp, he reminded them that the world belongs to the youth, endowed with unprecedented power. "You are born with Aladdin's lamp in your hand. If you ask for a cup of coffee, you waste the magic. But if you ask to end poverty and create a world with three zeros, the genie will grant your wish," he declared, inviting young people to dare to reimagine the world.
The Professor also shared lessons learned from the July uprising in Bangladesh, where students, including many women, led a peaceful revolution against corruption, illustrating the transformative potential of engaged youth. "Suddenly, the streets filled with girls and young women on the front lines," he recounted.
Minister Aurore Bergé reminded everyone that Inclusion is not a cost, but a strategic investment. «The greatest risk we face is not failure, but indifference,» she stated. The Minister emphasized the need to rethink public policies to prevent exclusion from the outset, rather than correcting it after the fact. She stressed that societies thrive when women and marginalized groups have equal access to opportunities.
Professor Yunus's presence at this 50th Board of Trustees meeting represents much more than a simple visit: It reaffirms the unwavering commitment of the Grameen Crédit Agricole Foundation to the issues of financial inclusion and economic empowerment.
As Professor Yunus reminded us: "Let's create a new civilization. The world belongs to the youth. It's up to them to think big and show imagination! »"A call that resonates more than ever, as the Foundation continues its commitment through its LIFT 2028 strategic plan to build fairer, more egalitarian and more prosperous societies for all.
Watch the full conference by clicking here.
Episode 5: From McKinsey to the Congo – Jérôme Gabriel's vision for conservation, peace, and prosperity
Podcast: A Journey for change in Inclusive Finance and Social Entrepreneurship #5
Episode 5: From McKinsey to the Congo – Jérôme Gabriel's vision for conservation, peace, and prosperity
Discover the podcast : Episode 5
Welcome to our podcast series
The Grameen Crédit Agricole Foundation continues its podcast series featuring stories of Grameen family leaders who are reshaping the landscape of inclusive finance and social business worldwide. In this fifth episode, we meet Jérôme Gabriel, head of economic development at the Virunga Foundation, to explore his remarkable journey, from management consulting to the creation of a revolutionary model that unites conservation, peacebuilding and inclusive finance in one of the world's most challenging regions.
What you'll discover
Jérôme Gabriel shares how the Virunga Foundation has evolved., moving from managing Africa's oldest national park to being a pioneer in integrated conservation and economic development. Discover how innovative approaches to renewable energy, smart meter technology and inclusive microfinance are creating decent livelihoods, reducing deforestation and directly contributing to peacebuilding in North Kivu, one of the most fragile regions of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Key Highlights
· The power of inspiration: How a Netflix documentary transformed a McKinsey consultant's career path towards conservation and social impact
· Understanding the interconnected crisis The complex challenges facing North Kivu range from volcanic eruptions and floods linked to climate change to deforestation caused by poverty and armed conflict.
· An innovative integrated model How the Virunga Foundation combines conservation and economic development, recognizing that the park's survival depends on the ability of local communities to have decent livelihoods
· Innovation through smart technology The revolutionary use of smart meters as the foundation of financial services, enabling microfinance without traditional banking infrastructure
· From electricity to entrepreneurship How electrification has catalyzed the creation of SMEs (93% of SMEs were created after electrification) and opened pathways to formal employment for former members of armed groups
· Direct impact on peace The measurable link between job creation and peacebuilding – 10,130 jobs created by Virunga-supported businesses are held by former members of armed groups
· Agroforestry as a transformation An innovative approach combining microfinance for reforestation with the development of value chains in palm oil and cocoa, where payments for environmental services can cancel debt and create sustainable incentives for conservation
Why this matters
In a region where poverty, environmental degradation, and armed conflict are deeply intertwined, Jérôme Gabriel's approach demonstrates that Inclusive finance, when strategically designed and grounded in an understanding of local realities, can be a powerful tool for peacebuilding, climate resilience and sustainable development.
Perfect for
Impact investors, social entrepreneurs, development professionals, policymakers, non-profit leaders, peacebuilding advocates, climate action champions, and all those passionate about creating meaningful change through finance, conservation and social business in challenging contexts.
Key quote
«The survival of the park and everything else depends on the ability of local communities to have decent livelihoods. When we invest in infrastructure, renewable energy, and empower people to start their own businesses, we create a real and positive impact on the armed groups in the region.» – Jérôme Gabriel
Listen now and be inspired by a leader who truly makes a difference in one of the world's most complex environments.
«"A path to change in inclusive finance and social business"» – Where impact meets innovation.
Subscribe Subscribe to our podcast series to stay informed about upcoming episodes featuring other transformative leaders from the Grameen family who are creating change across continents and sectors.
Transcription in French
English Transcription
No. 5: Inclusive insurance in Rwanda, lessons from a field experience