In preparation for the next edition of the African Microfinance Week (AMW) in 2023, the organisers of SAM are hosting a panel on the role of inclusive finance in Africa at the Financial Inclusion Week (FIW) 2022. This event is organised by the Centre for Financial Inclusion of ACCION. The online event from 17 to 20 October will be an opportunity for the global community to advance inclusive finance and creates a forum for the exchange of ideas, research and perspectives. The FIW offers a wealth of content on the most pressing topics in inclusive finance, and this year's central theme will be "Inclusive Growth in the Digital Age". 

Join our online session on 19 October from 9:00 to 10:00 UTC. 

The SAM organisers will host a one-hour plenary session dedicated to the role of inclusive finance in Africa in the context of the current food and climate crisis. The Togolese MFI Assilassimé, which strives to support local smallholder farmers, will share the views of those who operate on the ground and manage the risks associated with financing agricultural activities on the front line. SIDI represents the voice of investors who play a key role in lending capital to MFIs for positive social and environmental impact. ADA will share its longstanding experience in creating tailor-made financial and non-financial solutions for smallholder farmers. 

Finally, the CEO of PAMIGA, a pan-African rural microfinance network, will moderate the panel and present the current macro trends in agricultural finance on the African continent. This panel discussion lays the groundwork for the next SAM 2023 (African Microfinance Week) and will discuss short-term, medium-term and long-term solutions to support the development of more resilient food systems in Africa, which remains one of the least financed regions due to the high risks involved. 

Panelists: 

• Renée Chao-Béroff - General Manager of PAMIGA, a pan African rural microfinance network– France (moderator) 

• Jacques Afetor - CEO - Assilassimé - Togo  

• Emmanuel Vuillod – Investment Officer - SIDI – France 

• Nadia Ouriemchi, Programme Officer - ADA – Luxembourg  

Language: French (translated into English) 

Registration is free and open to all. Sign up today to reserve your spot and receive updates and news on the event. 

Registration: https://financialinclusionweek.org/2022-registration 

Panel:

Renée CHAO-BEROFF, CEO and Founder of CIDR Pamiga and Managing Director of Pamiga Finance SA, France  

Renée is the founder and Managing Director of PAMIGA and PAMIGA Finance SA, an investment vehicle for rural microfinance in sub-Saharan Africa. In 2019, following the merger of CIDR with PAMIGA, she became the Managing Director of CIDR Pamiga, an international NGO that aims to contribute to unlocking the economic and social potential of disadvantaged rural populations in Africa, Latin America, and Asia. Renée CHAO-BEROFF comes from the financial inclusion sector where she first worked for more than 20 years in remote rural areas and disadvantaged peri-urban neighborhoods, and then started providing strategic and regulatory advice to public and private decision-makers. Today, with CIDR Pamiga, Renée CHAO-BEROFF is pushing the boundaries of financial inclusion towards impact investing, digital platforms for agricultural value chains and the challenges of climate change. 

Renée holds a PhD in economics and finance. 

Nadia Ouriemchi, Programme Officer - ADA - Luxembourg    

Nadia has been working in the microfinance sector for more than 20 years and has built a solid track record in agriculture and value chain finance, mainly in Africa.  

For example, she has managed various rural development and in agriculture finance projects in Cameroon for SOS Faim and in West Africa for Terrafina. Since 2018, she has been managing technical assistance projects in the areas of rural finance and youth entrepreneurship for ADA. 

Her approach has always been guided by improvement of interventions, through building win-win partnerships and synergies between actors dedicated to the same cause. 

Emmanuel Vuillod - Investment officer, SIDI – France   

Emmanuel Vuillod holds a master's degree in development economics.  

For 20 years, he has been working as an investment officer at SIDI, a solidarity investor supporting microfinance institutions, producer organisations and social enterprises in more than 35 countries.  

Emmanuel Vuillod has worked on food security and agro-ecology issues with SIDI's partners, particularly in the Sahel, Tunisia and East Africa. 

Jacques AFETOR - Executive Director of the MFI Assilassimé Solidarité -Togo  

Jacques AFETOR, who holds a Master's degree in MFI Management from the Catholic University of Central Africa in Yaoundé, Cameroon, has 16 years of experience in the microfinance sector and is currently Executive Director of the MFI Assilassimé Solidarité in Togo.   

The MFI was promoted by the French NGO Entrepreneurs du Monde in 2012 with the mission to provide sustainable access to tailored social microfinance services for vulnerable people with limited access to mainstream financial institutions to enable them to generate income and improve their living conditions. Today, Jacques AFETOR manages a team of more than 130 employees in 9 branches which serve 70,000 beneficiaries of Assilassimé.