Actualités - Page 8 of 45 - Fondation Grameen Crédit-Agricole

Mirgul Bolotalieva: From entrepreneurship to Paralympic challenge, an inspiring story

November 4, 2024/in News/by Kawtar Nasser Eddine

Mirgul Bolotalieva, entrepreneur and Paralympic athlete, embodies the positive impact of inclusive finance: it helps unlock the potential of those who dream of surpassing themselves. Thanks to a loan ofOxus Kyrgyzstan, a partner of the Grameen Crédit Agricole Foundation since 2017, Mirgul was able to found Clothing Master, an innovative sewing workshop in Bishkek. This initial funding allowed it to finance modern equipment and transform its business into a thriving enterprise, doubling its capacity and hiring people with disabilities.

The microloan was also a catalyst for motivation for Mirgul, who, beyond entrepreneurship, chose to pursue a career as a Paralympic weightlifter. In just four years, she managed to represent her country at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games by reaching the final. This journey, fueled by access to finance and determination, proves that microcredit offers much more than financial assistance: it inspires confidence, supports personal ambitions, and opens up lasting prospects.

Mirgul Bolotalieva's inspiring story demonstrates how inclusive finance and entrepreneurship can transform lives by creating real-world opportunities. Supported by Oxus Kyrgyzstan, she not only grew her business but also demonstrated that with the right support, it's possible to tackle daunting challenges and shine on the international stage.

2024 Impact Finance Barometer Published

September 18, 2024/in News/by Marie Laumont

The Foundation contributed and supported, as a partner, the fourth edition of the Impact Finance Barometer, unveiled at the 16th 3Zeros World Forum on September 17, 2022, in the presence of Edouard Sers, Risk and Impact Director of the Foundation.

This publication offers the latest trends and key figures in the impact investing and financial inclusion sector, and provides concrete examples of its operational capabilities on a global scale. Coordinated by Convergences, this barometer of impact finance 2024 is the result of a collective effort bringing together contributions from several organizations: Ring Capital, Taméo, FAIR, ATLAS, e-MFP, HEC Innovation & Entrepreneurship Institute, CERISE+SPTF and Green Finance.

As part of this special report entitled “Impact finance, a lever for a just and inclusive transition”, the Foundation has proposed an article revealing innovative initiatives to address socio-political risks in financial inclusion in West and Central Africa, collected during a workshop organized at the African Microfinance Week in October 2023.

Edouard Sers and other speakers participated in a roundtable discussion. They addressed several central questions and shared their experiences:

How to integrate sociopolitical risks into financial inclusion? SSE and financing in France: why is it so difficult to raise funds? How can we ensure that social performance is at the heart of all financing activities?
How to inform and engage impact investors in key sectors.

Download the Barometer by clicking here.

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Source: Convergences

Grameen Crédit Agricole Foundation joins JuST Institute

August 1, 2024/in News/by Kawtar Nasser Eddine

The Grameen Crédit Agricole Foundation has announced its membership in the JuST Institute in the first half of 2024, marking a heightened commitment to entrepreneurship and sustainable agriculture. The Foundation focuses on promoting entrepreneurship, particularly among women, and supporting smallholder farmers to address digital transformation and climate change through inclusive finance.

The JuST Institute is an independent non-profit organization dedicated to promoting climate, biodiversity, and inclusive finance. It develops innovative methods and provides services to integrate investments and build capacity, supporting smallholder farmers and rural communities.

This collaboration aims to strengthen knowledge and skills in biodiversity and climate adaptation. The Grameen Crédit Agricole Foundation and the JuST Institute will work together to deliver innovative and sustainable solutions, ensuring that no one is left behind in the transition to a more environmentally friendly future.

The Foundation is committed to promoting entrepreneurship, particularly among women, and helping smallholder farmers meet the challenges of digital transformation and adaptation to climate change through inclusive finance. We look forward to working with the Just Institute and its current and future members to strengthen our knowledge and expertise in biodiversity and climate change adaptation to better serve our partners.

Véronique Faujour, General Delegate of the Grameen Crédit Agricole Foundation

Partenariat renforcé avec VisionFund INternational

Increased support from VisionFund International

July 30, 2024/in News/by Kawtar Nasser Eddine

VISION FUND SENEGAL ©Philippe Lissac/GODONG for the Grameen Credit Agricole Foundation

The Grameen Crédit Agricole Foundation recently granted a loan of 3 million euros to the holding company VisionFund International, the central body of the VisionFund network specializing in microfinance. This support is part of a long-standing collaboration, with the Foundation already supporting VisionFund for 10 years.

With a total exposure of approximately €10 million spread across eight entities, VisionFund thus becomes the Foundation's first global partner. This cooperation aims to develop financial products tailored to women entrepreneurs, particularly in the agricultural sector, and especially those facing the challenges of climate change.

The objectives of this partnership also include measuring the impact and effectiveness of poverty reduction initiatives. In addition, the Foundation will continue to support VisionFund's efforts in sub-Saharan Africa and will support the opening of a new entity in Ukraine.

This initiative marks an important step in the Grameen Crédit Agricole Foundation's commitment to economic and social development throughout the world.

Publication of the 2023 Integrated Report

July 5, 2024/0 Comments/in News/by Marie Laumont

The 2023 edition of the Foundation's integrated report has just been published, and you can now discover the highlights of the year in words and images:

As of December 31, 2023, the Foundation managed €82 million in outstanding loans for 72 microfinance institutions and 10 social enterprises in 36 countries. Women's entrepreneurship and the development of rural economies remain at the heart of its work: 78% of the 11.2 million beneficiaries are women, and 91% live in rural areas.

Our ambitions are aligned with an environment marked by climate change and the digital boom. The Foundation also takes into account the geopolitical situation of countries.
in which it intervenes.

Download the Report

The SSNUP program supports Agronomika Finance corporation in the Philippines

July 3, 2024/in News Filipinos/by Kawtar Nasser Eddine

The SSNUP program:

Coordinated by ADA, the SSNUP program aims to boost the productivity of smallholder farmers in Asia, Africa, and Latin America by improving risk management and developing sustainable agricultural value chains. Funded by Luxembourg, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein, the program aims to improve the living conditions and food security of more than 10 million smallholder farmers. The Grameen Crédit Agricole Foundation is one of the impact investors implementing the project.

A high-impact agricultural project in the Philippines:

Agriculture is a crucial part of the Philippine economy, employing 24 billion people and contributing 8.9 billion to GDP in 2022. Despite its importance, the sector faces significant challenges related to climate change and extreme weather events. This project aims to address these challenges by providing financial stability and support to smallholder farmers who grow crops such as eggplant, beans, okra, squash, carrots, cauliflower, cabbage, peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, and lettuce.

Agronomy, is a financial institution created by Kennemer in 2016, a partner of the Foundation, to facilitate access to financing for small producers. With a portfolio of 3.4 million euros, Agronomika serves more than 1,000 customers and offers products such as agricultural establishment loans and micro and small business loans. This new project will expand its reach and impact, focusing on the specific needs of smallholder farmers.

Agronomika received a grant from the SSNUP, which will establish a new loan product designed for smallholder farmers and provide training to ensure successful implementation. The project places a strong emphasis on the integration of women and aims for at least 80 % beneficiaries to be women.

By empowering smallholder farmers with better financial tools and knowledge, this project aims to improve their productivity, resilience, and overall livelihoods, thereby contributing to a more sustainable and inclusive agricultural sector in the Philippines.

The latest visit of the financial inclusion program for refugees to Uganda

July 1, 2024/in News/by Kawtar Nasser Eddine

Philippe Guichandut recently went on a mission to Uganda to evaluate the financial inclusion program for refugees implemented in partnership with UGAFODE.

A financial inclusion program for refugees:

With the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (AIDS)* and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)*, the Foundation launched a program to promote access to financial and non-financial services for refugees and host communities in Uganda. The program provided debt financing and technical assistance to selected financial service providers, which will enable them to expand their lending operations and access to entrepreneurship training and basic financial literacy to more than 100,000 refugees and host communities, including 75% of women.

This program ended in October 2023.

UGAFODE a key partner:

Since its creation in 1994, UGAFODE mobilizes resources to provide affordable primary financial services to its clients. UGAFODE's mission is to transform the lives of Ugandans, economically and socially. The institution played a crucial role in the program's success, demonstrating proven expertise in providing financial services to refugees.

Learn more about the program Financial Inclusion of Refugees.

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To find out more

*The Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) is an agency working on behalf of the Swedish parliament and government with the mission of reducing global poverty. Through its activities and in cooperation with other stakeholders, it contributes to the implementation of Swedish international development policy. The agency is present in 46 countries in Africa, Asia, Europe, and Latin America.
www.sida.se / @Sida

*The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is mandated by the United Nations to coordinate international action for the protection of refugees. The organization provides essential assistance, helps guarantee fundamental rights, and develops solutions aimed at the well-being of its target populations. UNHCR works in 135 countries on behalf of 108.4 million people.
//www.unhcr.org/ @Refugees

Two bankers in solidarity in Benin

June 28, 2024/in News/by Kawtar Nasser Eddine

The Foundation and Crédit Agricole SA launched in 2018 the Solidarity Bankers program, a skills volunteering program accessible to all Crédit Agricole Group employees. This technical assistance program aims to support microfinance institutions and social impact businesses funded by the Foundation.

Anthony Maudoux, responsible for IT Security within the Agricultural Credit of Corsica And Luc Carcenac, head of the Logistics department within the Agricultural Credit of Languedoc conducted a 10-day field mission to the microcredit institution RENACA in Benin in November 2023.

Anthony Maudoux and Luc Carcenac were tasked with strengthening the institution's cybersecurity. To achieve this, they had to deliver a comprehensive assessment of the information system's security and the cyber risks involved, a penetration test report and cybersecurity recommendations, a strategy for addressing existing attacks and vulnerabilities, and finally, a roadmap for implementing the new digital and cyber risk management strategy. The goal was to provide operational tools aligned with RENACA's resources.

"The Grameen Crédit Agricole Foundation has entrusted us with helping this microfinance institution develop its digital processes and open up to the internet. Above all, it is a human adventure based on commitment to the great causes defended by the Grameen Crédit Agricole Foundation. Anthony Maudoux and Luc Carcenac

RENACA in Benin, is a union of cooperatives supported by the Foundation since 2013, targeting low-income and vulnerable populations in rural areas. RENACA offers dedicated savings and loan products to more than 55,400 customers. The offering is based on a mobile application and the use of tablets, for secure and reliable customer transactions.

The Solidarity Bankers program aims to support these microfinance players through technical assistance and to promote the skills of the Group's employees involved in projects with a strong social impact.

Addressing the effects of rising socio-political risks in the Sahel

June 26, 2024/in News/by Marie Laumont

During the African Microfinance Week in Lomé, Togo, organized by ADA In October 2323, a workshop was organized on Monday, October 16 at the initiative of the Foundation and in collaboration with the HAND and the CIF, to bring together and exchange with our partners and stakeholders from West and Central Africa on the socio-political situation in the area.

The document below brings together their shared experiences during the workshop and demonstrates their dynamism in addressing the situation and finding solutions. The Foundation will continue to be attentive and support its partners on this issue by collaborating with interested stakeholders.

First investment in Albania

June 3, 2024/in News/by Marie Laumont

During the first half of 2024, the Foundation decided to intervene for the first time in Albania to support the Albanian-based microfinance institution Noa.

The Foundation has granted Noa initial funding equivalent to €2 million over a three-year period, helping to boost economic and social development in Albania.

Noa was established in 1998 and its mission is to provide comprehensive financial and non-financial services to Albanian entrepreneurs, farmers and households.