On May 20, 2011 Patrice Couvègnes, Crédit Agricole CIB’s Senior Regional Officer for Asia, visited Jiange County, Sichuan Province, China, which is part of the Heifer project, a programme sponsored by the Bank. This region is part of the reconstruction areas, after the deadly earthquake in Sichuan in May 2008.

 

Antony Leung, Chairman of Heifer InternationalHeifer International is a non-profit organisation that develops programmes to fight poverty in more than 50 countries. Its special emphasis is on helping rural communities while instilling in them a spirit of environmental responsibility. It trains them not only in agricultural techniques, but also in preserving the natural environment., accompanied Patrice Couvègnes. The visit aimed at meeting local impoverished farmers and learning how the project could help the affected families to restore their livelihood through raising livestock, as well as to improve the local community’s environmental awareness.

 

Following the success of helping over 500 underprivileged families in Tengchong County, Yunnan Province since 2007, Crédit Agricole CIB and Heifer International once again joined hands to help more impoverished farmers in rural China. They supported two corporate social responsibility projects in Sichuan in 2010, aiming to help a total of 750 underprivileged families in the next two to three years.


Mr. Couvegnes and Mr. Leung exchange with a farmer who benefited from the Heifer project to raise cows.

 

As one of the very influential non-profit organisations in the world, Heifer International aims at ending hunger and poverty and protecting global environment. The Sichuan projects adhere to the Heifer‘s unique approach of “Passing on the Gift”, by helping underprivileged families become self-reliance. All assisted families will pass on “the Gift’ by sharing one or more of their livestock’s offspring or equivalent amount of money to other needy families, as well as helping them to acquire necessary knowledge, skills and experience. Such continuous proliferation is bound to benefit more families and gradually reach the largest favourable population.

 

“Crédit Agricole CIB has always regarded “sustainable development” as a priority criterion in all its activities. Our projects with Heifer not only fulfills our social and environment responsibilities as a corporate citizen, but also demonstrates our core value in providing long-term solution, rather than short-term benefit to the community,” said Patrice Couvègnes, Senior Regional Officer for Asia. “The project visit provides me valuable insight on how underprivileged villagers are learning from each other, supporting each other, and working together to improve their livelihood despite all the difficulties. I am deeply impressed by their unyielding, caring and giving spirit.”