Study on OXUS female customers 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 an investment and impact partner of OXUS Kyrgyzstan, we participated in an impact study carried out by the Leonardo firm, conducted in collaboration with local researcher M-Vector. Between November and December 2025, we listened to 271 women borrowers across Kyrgyzstan to measure the real effect 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: OKG x GCA x Leonardo Report

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

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.

 

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

Inclusive Insurance in Rwanda: A Model for Africa

Inclusive insurance in Rwanda: a model for Africa

In Rwanda, inclusive insurance is not a theory, it is an operational lever protecting farmers against climate and economic shocks. In the framework of a programme conducted in partnership with the International Labor Organization (ILO) and financed by Proparco, a field exchange brought together 17 practitioners from 12 organisations across 9 countries to observe how a structured ecosystem, where public authorities, insurers, and microfinance institutions collaborate, makes insurance protection accessible to vulnerable populations.

Radiant Yacu, Rwanda's first dedicated microinsurance company, illustrates this dynamic: growing from USD 8,000 in premiums in 2019 to USD 6.7 million in 2024, it demonstrates how adapted products, innovative distribution, and a supportive institutional framework can transform insurance into a real lever for local development. The Rwandan government plays a key role by subsidising 40% of agricultural insurance premiums, removing a critical access barrier.

But Rwanda is not the only country facing challenges. Participants from West Africa shared different realities: insecurity in Mali and Burkina Faso destabilising portfolios, growing climate risks in Togo and Benin, and limited comparable public engagement. These field experiences reveal that the success of inclusive insurance depends on five essential conditions: simple and affordable products, innovative and proximity-based distribution, financial education, transparency in claims payment, and a supportive institutional framework.

Discover how these lessons redefine the conditions for success of inclusive insurance in Africa and how to adapt the Rwandan model to different contexts.

 

🔗 Full article via this link.

A strategic partnership to transform agricultural finance in Africa

Mobilizing French expertise in the service of rural resilience

During the Business Forum of the Africa Forward summit in Nairobi, the French Development Agency (AFD), the Grameen Crédit Agricole Foundation, Crédit Agricole Assurances, ZEP-RE and ACRE Africa have announced the signing of a structuring partnership aimed at facilitating access to agricultural financing in Africa.

This strategic alliance addresses a major challenge: millions of African smallholders remain exposed to climate shocks without adequate financial protections. Every year, drought, floods or crop diseases threaten crops and the livelihoods of entire families.

 

An integrated and innovative approach

The partnership combines three complementary pillars to create a resilient ecosystem:

  • Parametric insurance protects farmers’ incomes in the event of a climate disaster, providing quick and predictable coverage based on objective data.
  • Digital solutions enable accurate risk assessment and facilitate access to credit through advanced modeling tools and satellite data analysis.
  • Integrated finance connects smallholders with the resources needed to invest, grow and build resilience.

 

An ecosystem of expertise mobilized

This initiative mobilizes a set of actors recognized for their expertise in agricultural finance, climate insurance and digital solutions. Crédit Agricole Assurances is particularly committed by seconding a project manager and providing experts for specific missions.

ZEP-RE and its subsidiary ACRE Africa, key players in the regional insurance and reinsurance market, guarantee a deployment adapted to local realities and in close collaboration with banks, microfinance institutions and agricultural value chains.

 

Towards a more resilient African agriculture

As stated by Véronique Faujour, General Secretary of Crédit Agricole S.A. and General Delegate of the Grameen Crédit Agricole Foundation: "There can be no sustainable agricultural financing without sustainable protection. By mitigating risk, we make the investment possible and sustainable.”

This partnership demonstrates how French expertise can catalyze concrete, replicable and high-impact solutions. By combining insurance, data, and financing, it creates the conditions for smallholders, especially women entrepreneurs, to access the credit they need to thrive.

In a context where African agriculture concentrates a significant share of economic resources and jobs, this innovative approach paves the way for a sustainable transformation of agricultural markets and increased resilience to climate challenges.

 

Link to the press release

Proparco and the Grameen Crédit Agricole Foundation strengthen their historic partnership

A partnership of more than 15 years that continues to grow stronger. The Grameen Crédit Agricole Foundation teams welcomed at the Foundation the one from Proparco to celebrate and deepen this strategic collaboration in the service of financial inclusion in Africa and Asia.

A meeting rich in exchanges and results

This meeting allowed both organizations to capitalize on their common successes and share the progress of high-impact projects: financial inclusion of displaced populations in Uganda, the support of microfinance institutions on gender issues and climate change adaptation, as well as the development ofoffers innovative microinsurance offerings..

The signing of a 9th ARIZ guarantee

The highlight of this visit was the signing of the ninth ARIZ portfolio guarantee for an amount of 25 million euros. This guarantee, granted by PROPARCO, will enable the Grameen Crédit Agricole Foundation to continue and expand its activity in riskier geographies where access to financial services remains limited.

Françoise Lombard, CEO of Proparcostressed the importance of this partnership: 'GCA is a valuable partner for Proparco, thanks to its recognized expertise and ability to innovate to meet the needs of financial inclusion, particularly of women and people in rural areas. Today, we are very pleased to strengthen our partnership with the signing of this ninth ARIZ portfolio guarantee.’ »

Beyond the signature, the real impact

For Véronique Faujour, Secretary General of Crédit Agricole Group, this signature has a profound meaning: ‘What matters to us is not the signing of a guarantee, but what it makes possible on the ground: resilience, dignity and opportunities where they are most lacking.’ »

This renewed partnership between Proparco, and the Grameen Crédit Agricole Foundation reflects a shared conviction: financial inclusion is a major lever for sustainable development and social transformation.

The Grameen Crédit Agricole Foundation joins FAIR

The Grameen Crédit Agricole Foundation announces its integration into FAIR, THE French collective of social and ecological impact finance. This membership marks a strengthening of its commitment to solidarity finance and transparency.

FAIR: a collective dedicated to impact finance

Founded in 2021, FAIR brings together more than 150 committed stakeholders Financial institutions, management companies, social enterprises, NGOs, universities, and prominent figures. Recognized as the French center of expertise FAIR, a social impact finance company, is committed to a world where finance is a major lever major to transitions, giving priority social and environmental impact. The collective works towards building a more humane economy, a more united society and a fairer world.

By joining the collective, members benefit from regular expertise, advocacy with public authorities, increased visibility, funding synergies with other social and solidarity economy actors, as well as the opportunity to contribute to discussions on financial innovation and impact.

A strengthened positioning to enhance impact

This membership in FAIR strengthens the position of the Grameen Crédit Agricole Foundation as a’trusted player in socially responsible finance and financial inclusion. It demonstrates its commitment to using finance to achieve social and climate impact on a global scale.

Through this approach, the Foundation reaffirms its commitment to responsible, transparent finance that is truly oriented towards social and environmental change.

 

Learn more on the FAIR Finance website via this link.

 

Podcast: A Journey for change in Inclusive Finance and Social Entrepreneurship #4

Episode 4: Building Empires from Dreams – Dolores M. Torres' Blueprint for Poverty Eradication

Discover the podcast: Episode 4

Welcome to our podcast series

The Grameen Crédit Agricole Foundation continues its podcast series that brings you transformative stories of leaders from the Grameen family who are reshaping the landscape of inclusive finance and social business across the globe. In this fourth episode, we sit down with Dolores M. Torres, president emeritus of CARD (Center for Agriculture and Rural Development), one of the one of the world's largest women-focused microfinance institutions , to explore how a vision born from personal commitment has transformed the lives of more than 10 million Filipinos.

What you'll discover

Dolores M. Torres shares her remarkable journey from a young volunteer with the Philippine Business for Social Progress to co-founding CARD with just 20 pesos and a dream. Discover how she developed a business that now operates through 3,700 offices, and how the Grameen model inspired her to create institutions owned and governed by the women they serve. Learn how listening to clients transformed a single microfinance organization into a group of 34 interconnected institutions serving insurance, education, healthcare and financial services to over 33 million Filipinos.

Key Highlights

  • From Volunteer to Visionary : How personal experience with poverty fueled a lifelong commitment to social development and inspired the founding of CARD in 1989 with just 89 women members
  • The Power of Client Ownership : Why placing institutions directly in the hands of poor women, through board representation, policy design, and strategic decision-making, became the cornerstone of CARD's extraordinary success
  • Inspired by Grameen : How Professor Muhammad Yunus's credit discipline model transformed CARD's operations, starting with 100% repayment rates among the first 89 women members and scaling into a global movement
  • Listening as Strategy : The transformative practice of continuously listening to clients' needs, from training under mango trees to building a government-authorized microfinance school, that led to the creation of 34 diverse institutions
  • Homegrown Leadership : How CARD's commitment to staff development created a culture of retention, with the first account officer becoming managing director and the first bookkeeper now leading the bank
  • Microfinance as Vocation : The critical message for the next generation: treating microfinance not as a job but as a calling, while embracing digital transformation and AI to attract younger leaders without losing sight of the human mission
  • Scaling with Purpose : How strategic partnerships with organizations that share CARD's mission, rather than those imposing external agendas, enabled sustainable growth and authentic impact

Why this matters

As the world faces rapid technological change and shifting development priorities, Dolores M. Torres' story demonstrates that sustainable poverty alleviation requires more than financial innovation. It demands genuine commitment, client empowerment, and the courage to dream big while staying grounded in core values.

In an era where AI and digital tools are reshaping financial services, CARD's experience shows how technology can enhance rather than replace the human touch that defines transformative microfinance. The emotional connection between staff and the communities they serve remains the true engine of change.

Perfect for

Impact investors, social entrepreneurs, development professionals, policymakers, nonprofit leaders, women leaders and activists, technology innovators, and anyone passionate about creating meaningful change through client-centered finance, women's empowerment, and social business.

Key quote

" We dream big, just like Grameen Bank. When we started CARD as an NGO, we dreamed of establishing a bank that would be owned by the poor women. At that time, it looked impossible. We only had 20 pesos. But we promised them we will build a bank that you will own, and we realized it. » – Dolores M. Torres

Listen now

Be inspired by a leader who has dedicated her life to proving that poverty is not inevitable, it is a choice we can collectively reject through inclusive finance, women's empowerment, and unwavering commitment to social mission.

________________________________________

A Journey for Change in Inclusive Finance and Social Business : Where impact meets innovation.

Subscribe to our podcast series to stay updated on upcoming episodes featuring other transformative leaders from the Grameen family who are driving change across continents and sectors.

Discover the podcast via this link

 

French transcript

English transcript

Podcast: A Journey for change in Inclusive Finance and Social Entrepreneurship #3

Episode 3: From Founder to Visionary: Alex Counts' Plan for Coordinated Impact

Discover the podcast: Episode 3

Welcome to our podcast series

The Grameen Crédit Agricole Foundation continues its podcast series that brings you transformative stories of leaders from the Grameen family who are reshaping the landscape of inclusive finance and social business across the globe. In this third episode, we sit down with Alex Counts, founder of Grameen Foundation and pioneering architect of microfinance for over 30 years, to explore his vision for a unified and coordinated Grameen movement.

What you'll discover

Alex Counts shares his remarkable journey from a decade-long apprenticeship with Professor Muhammad Yunus in Bangladesh to founding Grameen Foundation, leading it for 18 years, and remaining an adviser and friend of the organization to this day. Discover how the microfinance sector has evolved from a revolutionary idea, that the world's poor are bankable, into a global movement, and how strategic coordination among Grameen organizations can amplify collective impact in an era of rapid technological change.

Key Highlights

  • The revolutionary insight : How Professor Yunus proved that poor women are bankable and that financial services can be delivered profitably while creating measurable social impact
  • Breaking geographical barriers : Understanding why the Grameen model succeeded in unexpected markets, from India to the United States and the critical role of maintaining core values in adaptation
  • Digital innovation with purpose The opportunities and risks of technology in financial inclusion, and why a "magical app" alone cannot solve poverty
  • Coordinating the Grameen family We can model our network after successful universities, where different schools and departments have autonomy but there is also a unified brand and strategy to ensure coordination and coherence
  • Staying grounded in mission : The urgent need to preserve Professor Yunus's core values in an age of AI and rapid market change, ensuring microfinance remains relevant to those who need it most

Why this matters

As the world faces unprecedented challenges, from artificial intelligence to geopolitical shifts, the Grameen family must function as a coordinated movement while maintaining the human touch and moral compass that defines our mission. Alex Counts' vision for strategic collaboration offers a roadmap for amplifying our collective impact on poverty alleviation and financial inclusion.

Perfect for

Impact investors, social entrepreneurs, development professionals, policymakers, nonprofit leaders, technology innovators, and anyone passionate about creating meaningful change through coordinated action, inclusive finance, and social business.

Key quote

" If we can use technology, but not have technology use us, I think we can create real change. " – Alex Counts

Listen now and be inspired by a leader who continues to shape the future of inclusive finance.

" A Journey for Change in Inclusive Finance and Social Business " Where impact meets innovation.

Subscribe to our podcast series to stay updated on upcoming episodes featuring other transformative leaders from the Grameen family who are driving change across continents and sectors.

Discover the podcast via this link

 

French transcript

English transcript

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