Travel diary of a solidarity banker in Kenya

By Eva Hoglund, Financial Director at EFL (Poland)

Launched by the Grameen Crédit Agricole Foundation and Crédit Agricole SA in 2018, Solidarity Bankers is a skills-based volunteer program open to all Crédit Agricole Group employees in support of microfinance institutions or impact businesses supported by the Foundation. Discover the opinion piece by Eva Höglund, a Solidarity Banker at Crédit Agricole who went to Kenya in 2019 to support Musoni, a microfinance institution funded by the Foundation.

The beginning of the adventure

When I discovered the Solidarity Bankers mission for the microfinance institution Musoni in Kenya, it was immediately obvious to me: this mission was made for me. The objective of the mission was to support Musoni in setting up a strategic planning and monitoring system. Not only was it a wonderful mission of solidarity and sharing, in a country I was unfamiliar with, but I also had the impression that the qualities sought and the desired experience were a description of my own professional background. I immediately gathered as much information as possible about Musoni and the Grameen Crédit Agricole Foundation.

Shortly after applying, I received confirmation that my application had been accepted, and I immediately began preparing for my mission. The Grameen Crédit Agricole Foundation team was truly supportive during this initial phase: together, we established the mission's objectives and agenda. This was followed by a review of Musoni's presentation documents and strategic plan.

During the summer preceding the mission, I also had numerous discussions and conference calls with Musoni to ensure a good sharing of objectives and a common vision of the working method to be followed. In my view, excellent preparation is essential, and this phase was the key to the success of my mission.

Heading to Kenya

On October 26, 2019, I departed for Kenya for a 15-day field mission. I was leaving for a mission that aligned with my skills and knowledge of the microfinance sector, but in a structure and cultural context different from my daily life. It was therefore not without a little apprehension that I landed in Nairobi. The welcome from David Camara, an investment advisor at the Foundation, whom I had previously met in Montrouge, was reassuring.

On Monday morning, we began with the field mission launch meeting with the participation of all Musoni employees who would contribute to establishing the strategic planning and monitoring system. The presence of Stanley Munyao, Managing Director of Musoni, and David, representing the Foundation, was important to underline the importance of the project. Musoni gave itself every means to succeed by commissioning Amina Jaberney, a consultant who would accompany me during my stay in the field to ensure operational implementation once my mission was completed.

During the first week, Amina and I conducted interviews with Musoni management and agency employees. We compiled key takeaways and translated them into vectors consistent with Musoni's mission and vision. The second week consisted of validating and ensuring Musoni's adherence to the proposed strategic management system. To ensure that the mission was progressing according to expectations, we held steering committee meetings with the CEO every two days. On my last day in the field, we were able to present a complete set of the system validated by Musoni management.

Back in Paris

Once my mission was completed, Amina took over with Judy Ndungu, Musoni's Human Resources Director. The final implementation meeting, bringing together all employees, was held on July 13, 2020. The performance evaluation of the 1^er semester will be carried out on the basis of our work. What satisfaction!

I am very happy to have seized this opportunity offered by Crédit Agricole and the Grameen Crédit Agricole Foundation. This mission will remain an unforgettable experience. It allowed me to experience firsthand how a microfinance company operates in a rapidly evolving market. I met some wonderful people, and I am proud of the results we were able to achieve together in such a short time.

Letter #36 to download here