Travel diary of a solidarity banker in Cambodia

By Dominique Rombczyk, CA Val de France

©Philippe Lissac

Launched by the Grameen Crédit Agricole Foundation and Crédit Agricole SA in June 2018, Solidarity Bankers is a skills-based volunteer program open to all Crédit Agricole Group employees, supporting microfinance institutions or impact businesses supported by the Foundation. Discover the opinion piece by Dominique Rombczyk, Solidarity Banker at CA Val de France, who went to Cambodia in 2019 to support Phare Performing Social Enterprise (PPSE), a social enterprise in which the Foundation is a shareholder.

When I discovered the Solidarity Bankers program, I remember searching for as much information as possible about the Grameen Crédit Agricole Foundation, Professor Yunus, inclusive finance, social entrepreneurship… Familiar concepts, shared values, but which seem to be part of another universe. The opportunity offered by Crédit Agricole and the Foundation to be able to take part in this universe was too exciting to ignore.

So I decided to apply and was selected to carry out the Solidarity Bankers mission with Cirque Phare (PPSE), a social enterprise that aims to promote social inclusion and empowerment of young Cambodians through art. The objectives of the mission were to identify the roles of the financial and management team, to train and develop a training plan on management and financial strategy concepts, and to propose financial monitoring and management tools.

The preparation phase was essential. After initial discussions with the Grameen Crédit Agricole Foundation team, I reviewed PPSE presentation documents, financial data, and general information to better understand the mission. In the weeks leading up to the departure, I held several contacts with the Foundation and the company to finalize the mission planning. The phone conversations allowed me to see the enthusiastic spirit of all stakeholders.

An exciting field mission

On September 7, 2019, we departed for Cambodia, accompanied by Hélène Keraudren-Baubé, the Foundation's Administrative and Financial Director, for a 15-day field mission. It was the Foundation's Executive Director himself who, at the airport, came to meet us with his family, thus establishing a very family-like atmosphere that remained with us throughout our stay.

During the first four days of the mission, we held several meetings with the CEO and department heads to analyze the functioning and organization of PPSE in order to jointly consider ways to optimize the structure. Ms. Keraudren-Baubé's presence during the first days of the mission was a real added value in proposing a relevant strategic plan for PPSE.

We also had the chance to attend a show put on by Cirque Phare, a show that blended theater, folk music, and Cambodian stories. The incredible performance by the young artists, who came from difficult social and economic backgrounds, was one of the highlights of my mission.

The second part of the mission focused primarily on training the financial division's teams. Training in accounting, analysis, and financial strategy helped consolidate certain concepts within PPSE's financial team, as well as identify training needs and enable the development of a training plan that the organization could subsequently implement.

Back in France

After returning from the mission, many projects were underway. The training plan, the strategic planning project, the drafting of a financial communication document for the PPSE Board of Directors, the implementation of a financial monitoring tool... Several weeks after returning, I sent my final report to PPSE. The discussions in the meantime were positive, and elements established during the mission are already being used and implemented.

I return to France with the joy of having been able to share the daily lives of so many passionate, enthusiastic, and brilliant people at the Grameen Crédit Agricole Foundation and PPSE. This mission allowed me to experience firsthand how a social enterprise works and the wonderful dynamics that drive these organizations. The idea of experiencing this on a daily basis is extremely tempting.

There is also a sense of pride: that of being part of a Group that takes concrete action, on the ground, with commitment, to defend social values.

Incidentally, but it is worth mentioning, a visit to the Angkor Wat temple, an emblematic place of Cambodia (which appears on its flag), cannot fail to leave a deep impression on all visitors who go there.

Letter #35 to download here