Crédit Agricole Solidarity Bankers in Pictures

Launched in June 2018 at the initiative of the Grameen Crédit Agricole Foundation and Crédit Agricole SA, Solidarity Bankers is a skills-based volunteer program open to all Crédit Agricole Group employees in support of microfinance institutions and social impact businesses supported by the Foundation.

The objective of the program Solidarity Bankers is twofold: on the one hand, it allows us to promote the skills of Crédit Agricole Group employees who wish to get involved in solidarity projects and, on the other hand, to strengthen support for microfinance institutions and businesses financed by the Grameen Crédit Agricole Foundation. Two years after its launch, discover the testimonials and highlights of the missions in Senegal and Cambodia in 3 video capsules which present the results of the program.

First destination, Senegal

The program's first mission is emblematic: the mission led by Jonathan Michaud, an agricultural engineer from Crédit Agricole Franche Comté in Senegal for the Laiterie du Berger. With the support of the Regional Bank, the Solidarity Banker spent two years helping the Dairy structure the dairy sector in Senegal. Today, he is Director of KOSSAM SDE, the Dairy's subsidiary created following his mission, which is helping to structure the dairy sector in northern Senegal by providing material resources and training to farmers and developing an innovative model of pilot "mini-farms." 1,230 local farmers were supported, whose income increased by more than 50% between 2018 and 2019.

Another mission was carried out in Senegal in 2020. Michèle Kouam, IT Project Manager at Crédit Agricole SA, left at the beginning of the year to support the Société Sénégalaise des Filières Alimentaires (SFA). Her mission was to work on the digitalization of rice collection for SFA, a company that produces white rice from paddy grown by small producers in the Senegal River Valley. By enabling access to credit, providing technical support, and guaranteeing a fair price, SFA now supports 3,200 smallholder farmers and promotes the development of an inclusive rice sector in Senegal.

Heading to Cambodia

A final mission completes this visual overview: the mission of François Galland, International HR Director of Crédit Agricole SA, to the microfinance institution Chamroeun. François worked for two weeks on Chamroeun's human resources strategy. The institution offers financial products and services to more than 33,000 low-income people in Cambodia, who are also supported with a range of training and social support services.

Next steps

Since the program's launch, 20 missions have been launched, 12 of which have already been completed. The selection process for the first missions launched in 2020 has been finalized, but two missions remain to be filled, in Morocco and Egypt.

With Solidarity Bankers, Crédit Agricole's regional banks and entities in France and internationally are increasing their efforts to promote inclusive finance and strengthening the human and societal projects of the Group/PMT 2022 strategy.

Watch the video of the 3 missions