Cooperative banking: group trip in good company

As a rule, small-scale farmers and entrepreneurs will not readily approach a traditional financial institution. If you live somewhere in rural Africa, Latin America or Asia, and you have few resources at your disposal, your focus is on surviving from one day to the next. In this case banks seem out of reach, not only because of their physical distance but also because many people do not really connect with the “big” banks. Moreover, the products they offer are not always optimally tailored to the needs of the poorer population.

Cooperative banking provides an effective solution to this problem. Cooperative banking comes in various shapes and sizes. Just think of Cera's roots.

The basic principles of cooperative banking:

Responsibility. People take matters into their own hands.
Cooperation. Customers are also co-owners (members). They fulfil a common need and jointly seek solutions to any problems that emerge.
Trust and control. Although cooperative banking always relies on trust, clear rules are also drawn up and there is strict (social) control.
Self-organisation and participation. An internal, democratic structure ensures that the cooperative remains in the hands of the member-owners.
The emphasis is on people. Profit is not an end in itself, but a means of maintaining the cooperative. Social profit takes precedence over the financial return. Among other things, the rules ensure that a cooperative never becomes an instrument of financial speculation.

Cooperative banking is an efficient way of tackling poverty, in solidarity and with respect. Read how BRS grew from this principle.

F.W. Raiffeisen

“We do together what we are too small to do alone.” - F.W. Raiffeisen, German mayor in the 19th century and founder of cooperative banking

Learn more

Muhammad Yunus

“Poor people are like bonsai trees. Even if you take the best seed from the tree, if you plant it in a pot that’s too small, it can’t grow.” - Muhammad Yunus, founder of the Grameen Bank and Nobel Prize winner

Learn more

Franky Depickere

“More than a billion people worldwide are members of a cooperative. They form a backbone in society, work together and create prosperity and well-being.” - Franky Depickere, BRS Chairman

Learn more

Take a look!

Are you a fellow chocolate lover?

In this video, get to know the people responsible for the most important raw material: cacao! And learn more about microcredits and cooperatives too.

Read the story of Edmundo, the cacao farmer

This section is not displayed because you have not accepted these cookies.
If you still want to see the content, you can adjust the settings for this at the bottom of the page.

Belief in the ability of people - “Every person is an entrepreneur”.

Believing in the capacity of every human being was the starting point for F.W. Raiffeisen when he founded his rural savings and credit cooperatives. About 100 years later, this is the same basic principle for Muhammad Yunus when starting his Grameen Bank in Bangladesh

One day in Honhoué

This video is a good illustration of microfinance and BRS’ cooperative operations. These images are a few years old. Nowadays, more modern instruments are used in Honhoué, but the principles of our operations remained unchanged.

This section is not displayed because you have not accepted these cookies.
If you still want to see the content, you can adjust the settings for this at the bottom of the page.