673 000 €
Turnover
2 290
Number of insured farmers
15
Number of employees
100 %
Rural beneficiaries
Kenya
Financial services
Funding granted
Investment of €395,000
Partner of the Foundation
since 2014
Context :
Index insurance relies primarily on the use of rainfall stations to trigger compensation for farmers. To address the context of Sahelian regions, the indices are built on satellite data. The principle of index insurance is clear: the system proposes a "modeling of yield variation based on the water available in the soil during plant growth." On this basis, compensation trigger thresholds are set.
The company:
Created in 2014 at the initiative of the Syngenta Foundation for Sustainable Agriculture, ACRE-AFRICA operates in Kenya, Rwanda, and Tanzania. ACRE-AFRICA makes agricultural insurance accessible for small farms and for very low insured amounts, thanks to a triple innovation: index insurance; distribution by aggregators; and payment by mobile money. ACRE thus allows small farms to access credit on more favorable terms.
Impact :
Agricultural index microinsurance is a particularly effective tool for agricultural intensification, strengthening food security, and adapting to climate change. “I hadn’t heard of maize insurance before, and I know of insurers that refused to pay out, so I had mixed feelings about the product, but I signed up anyway because there was a promise of compensation. When they did pay out, I was the only one in my village with guaranteed seeds, and I shared some of the compensation with my neighbors to convince them to participate in the program the following season.” (Jane G. Simon, maize farmer in Kenya)
A successful first year for the Solidarity Bankers program
By Carolina Herrera, Grameen Crédit Agricole Foundation
© Philippe Lissac
At the initiative of the Grameen Crédit Agricole Foundation and Crédit Agricole SA, skills-based volunteering missions labeled "Solidarity Banker" are offered to Crédit Agricole Group employees on behalf of microfinance institutions or social impact companies supported by the Foundation.
Senegal, Morocco, Haiti…: a great success for the first year
Less than a year after its launch in 2018, the program's success confirms employees' commitment and willingness to support social impact projects. This is the first time a partnership of this type has been launched by Crédit Agricole and the Grameen Crédit Agricole Foundation. The objective is twofold: first, to promote the skills of Crédit Agricole Group employees and second, to provide additional support to the Foundation's partner microfinance institutions and companies with one- to two-week field missions.
In 2018, six missions were launched, three of which were completed in 2018 and three planned for 2019. To date, four missions are already available for the third quarter of 2019. In 2018, six missions were launched, three of which were completed in 2018 and three planned for 2019. For example, a mission took place in Cambodia with the support of Crédit Agricole's International Retail Bank (BPI), to support the human resources management of Chamroeun, a partner microfinance institution that serves more than 27,500 clients. Another mission was conducted in Senegal, in partnership with Crédit Agricole Franche-Comté, for the Laiterie du Berger, a social enterprise in which the Foundation is a shareholder. Furthermore, with the support of the Regional Fund, the Solidarity Banker who carried out the mission left for 2 years to support Kossam, the Dairy project to structure the milk sector in Senegal.
A mission launched in 2018 will be carried out in July 2019 in cooperation with Crédit du Maroc and Crédit Agricole SA to improve the Al Karama Foundation's anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing (AML-CFT) systems. The institution currently supports more than 26,200 clients in Morocco. Another mission launched in 2018 will be carried out in Haiti to support Palmis Enèji, a social enterprise that offers clean and accessible cooking and lighting solutions to Haitian households. Crédit Agricole Corporate Investment Bank is supporting the Solidarity Banker, which will carry out the entire mission through skills sponsorship.
Cambodia, Kenya, Tajikistan… in 2019 the program changes scale
To date, six missions have been launched in 2019. One mission is for Kossam, the Laiterie du Berger project that aims to develop a sustainable dairy sector in Senegal. The Solidarity Banker will be tasked with supporting Kossam in the deployment of a digital application called "commcare collection." Another mission is planned to support the financial management and organizational structure of Cirque Phare (PPSE) in Cambodia. PPSE aims to promote social inclusion and youth empowerment through Cambodian culture and arts. Another mission will be for ACRE Africa, which offers crop insurance services to smallholder farmers. The Solidarity Banker will be tasked with analyzing the organization's new business strategy.
For these first missions launched in 2019, the selection process for Solidarity Bankers has been finalized. To date, three new missions are available: a "business model" role for the microfinance institution Humo in Tajikistan, a "Management Control" role to support the Musoni institution in Kenya, and a "digital" role to support the social enterprise SFA in Senegal.
Other missions are currently being planned with the support of Crédit Agricole Group entities and regional banks. With this initiative, the Group reaffirms its commitment to supporting employee solidarity initiatives and working alongside the Foundation to promote more inclusive and sustainable finance.
For more information, Click here.
Solidarity Banker missions to be filled in Senegal, Cambodia and Kenya
© Philippe Lissac
Solidarity Banker is a new type of volunteer mission abroad offered to Group employees on behalf of microfinance institutions or social impact companies that are partners of the Grameen Crédit Agricole Foundation. Three missions are available: one "digital" in Senegal, one "HR/management" in Cambodia, and one "strategy" in Kenya.
The missions to be filled
A "digital" mission for Kossam in Senegal is planned for June-July 2019. Kossam is a social enterprise whose mission is to develop and establish an inclusive and sustainable dairy sector around Richard Toll, in northern Senegal. To achieve this, Kossam collects milk from 450 local farmers, provides them with marketing services, and provides advice and training. The Solidarity Banker will be responsible for supporting Kossam in the deployment of a digital application, "commcare collection."
An HR/management mission is planned for the second quarter of 2019 to support Cirque Phare (PPSE) in Cambodia. PPSE provides employment opportunities for Cambodian artists and sustains the country's arts sector. PPSE has now entered a growth phase and requires strengthening certain aspects of its management, particularly in terms of strategy, finance, and human resources. The Solidarity Banker will be responsible for proposing monitoring tools and making recommendations on the organizational structure.
A strategy mission for ACRE Africa in Kenya will take place in the second/third quarter of 2019. Based in Kenya, but also present in Tanzania and Rwanda, ACRE Africa offers crop insurance services to smallholder farmers. ACRE decided in 2018 to diversify its activities to offer consulting services and to change its business model, moving from a B to C to a B to B model. The Solidarity Banker will be responsible for analyzing the organization's new strategy and evaluating its business model.
How to apply?
- Go to the CA Solidaires website "Find your mission"
- Enter "Grameen Foundation" in the search bar. All Solidarity Leave offers will appear!
- Click on the offer of your choice, you will find all the information necessary for your application.
More information: carolina.herrera@credit-agricole-sa.fr