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Could you introduce yourself and share with us what led you to join SIDI?
My career path has been marked by a different kind of economy. I chose to work in the Social and Solidarity Economy sector, which enabled me to reconnect – without really knowing it at the time (!) – with a family entrepreneurial commitment marked by the Resistance. After a few years in the fight against racism and for equal opportunities between men and women, notably at European level, I plunged into the technical – and financial – side of supporting cooperatives, social integration enterprises, foundations, associations… associations… with France Active. France Active[1], in the field. I then joined Crédit Coopératif, where I managed the Social and Solidarity Economy department. I believe in combining action, technical expertise and ethics to take concrete action in favor of a different kind of economy… At the service of people, not the other way round. Meeting SIDI was an obvious choice for me: the teams, the volunteers and the governance all share the same commitment, with one burning conviction: that a different kind of economy is synonymous with peace and international development.
What major challenges do you see for SIDI in the regions where it operates?
Three key examples illustrate this diversity: the worsening of certain armed conflicts over the past two years threatens to wipe out the activities of some of our partners, such as ACAD, a long-standing microfinance player in Palestine, and Fair Trade Tourism Limited in Lebanon. Secondly, the effects of the climate crisis are having repercussions on certain agricultural sectors, with prices (cocoa, coffee) soaring to record levels, putting the economic models of the African and South American producer organizations we support under strain. Finally, monetary uncertainty is weighing on many of our partners, such as the Sahel states (Mali, Niger, Burkina), which wish to leave the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU) in favor of a scenario yet to be written[2]. Or, on another continent, Bolivia, whose financial chaos and scarcity of dollars is weighing heavily on the cost of our financial interventions. In 2024, the “operational” team organized itself to meet the complexity of these challenges: a presence on the ground with teams based in Lomé (Togo), Bujumbura (Burundi), Kampala (Uganda) and Antananarivo (Madagascar); a reorganization of the geographical team into three poles(Latin America, West and North Africa, East and Southern Africa) to ensure the closest possible follow-up of our partners; this with the support of two transversal poles (Accompaniment, Social and Environmental Performance). I note with admiration that the expertise and commitment of the eighteen professionals on the operational team remain at the highest level. And the long-term professionalism of the entire SIDI team, as well as the commitment of our volunteer consultants and shareholders, give us every confidence, despite the size of the challenges ahead.
What are your priorities as Director of Operations and Partnerships?
My priority is to stabilize this new organization and, together with the entire SIDI team, make it as effective as possible. The second key objective is to strike the right balance between the development and consolidation of our portfolio, which now comprises 130 partners with 50 million in outstandings in some 30 countries. It is this balance that enables SIDI to be fully useful. Another obvious objective, given the nature of our business, is to ensure the safety of our teams during missions in risky territories.
In your opinion, what role do citizens play in the success of SIDI’s solidarity investments?
Thanks to its unique business model supported by citizen shareholders, SIDI enjoys a rare freedom to act in favour of economic development in areas where few state or civil society players are involved (Mozambique, Haiti, Bolivia, Guinea…). Let’s be clear: it’s not a question of intervening where no one else is doing so as to stand out. It’s a question of using financial tools to activate the levers of economic development, opening up prospects for financial autonomy and democratization of the economy. Without citizen shareholders, whom we call on to be ambassadors for their invaluable support to SIDI, we would not be able to intervene in the areas where we do. Today, it is very important to widen this circle to include the next generation of this “cosmopolitanism in action”: it is their children and grandchildren who will have the responsibility of supporting a world that is ever more open and ever more united.
You’ve already been on two missions to Guinea Conakry and Uganda. What impressed you most on these occasions?
First and foremost: the energy of SIDI’s partners in the field! It’s remarkable… Seeing the very tangible effects of SIDI’s financing and support for poor borrowers and small farmers has also strengthened my conviction that I am working for a mission of the future that is more decisive than ever. [ 1] Solidarity finance operator specializing in economic development. [ 2] SIDI is currently coordinating a study to be published in thefirst half of 2025 on the impact of this exit, in order to anticipate as far as possible its consequences for the partners supported in this region.
