Solidarity Cents 2019: Employees commit to impactful entrepreneurship

© Sébastien Proust

Launched by the Grameen Crédit Agricole Foundation, Crédit Agricole SA, and CA Centre-est, Centimes Solidaires aims to finance entrepreneurial projects by mobilizing employees. On November 4, Rania, an entrepreneur and Syrian refugee supported through the initiative, shared her experience at a launch event on the Montrouge Campus.

An exceptional meeting

The Grameen Crédit Agricole Foundation, Crédit Agricole SA and Crédit Agricole Centre-est are continuing the Solidarity Centimes operation, which will take place from November 18 to 22 on the Montrouge, Saint-Quentin and Lyon campuses.

To launch the 2019 edition of the initiative, Crédit Agricole welcomed Rania, an entrepreneur and Syrian refugee supported through the initiative, to the Montrouge Campus on November 4. After leaving Syria and thanks to the Entrepreneurs du Monde ICI (Incubation, Creation, Inclusion) Project, funded through Centimes Solidaires, Rania was able to create her own catering service to showcase the traditional cuisine of her country.

In 2019, the operation changes scale!

Launched in 2018, Centimes solidaires aims to finance entrepreneurial projects by mobilizing Crédit Agricole employees who are invited to donate 50 cents when paying for their meal in collective restaurants.

Thanks to the support of Crédit Agricole employees, €7,000 was donated to Entrepreneurs du Monde in 2018 to fund the ICI Project, which supports entrepreneurship projects for refugees, single parents, and homeless people in Lyon. A total of 20 group training sessions were organized, enabling the program team to train 18 people in entrepreneurship.

This year, the beneficiary of the initiative will once again be Entrepreneurs du Monde. The initiative will run concurrently at the Crédit Agricole campuses in Montrouge, Saint-Quentin, and Lyon from November 18 to 22. Crédit Agricole SA, the Grameen Crédit Agricole Foundation, and Crédit Agricole Centre-Est will join forces with their employees to contribute to the fundraising. Entrepreneurs du Monde aims to reach a greater number of beneficiaries in the coming years, with a total of 40 project leaders by the end of 2019 and 50 in 2020.

Watch the video of the operation, which presents Rania's journey and the testimonies of the employees who participated in the operation.

More information: carolina.herrera@credit-agricole-sa.fr

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Created in 2008, under the joint leadership of Crédit Agricole SA's management and Professor Yunus, 2006 Nobel Peace Prize winner and founder of Grameen Bank, the Grameen Crédit Agricole SA Foundation is a multi-sector operator that contributes to the fight against poverty through financial inclusion and social impact entrepreneurship. As an investor, lender, technical assistance coordinator, and fund advisor, the Foundation supports microfinance institutions and social enterprises in nearly 40 countries.