Zebunet
Zebunet is a non-profit, apolitical and non-confessional association active in the field of international solidarity.
The aim of the association is to improve the living conditions of the rural populations by supporting livestock breeding in the South, in the form of animal microcredit .
History
The association was founded in July 2001 by Hanh Ha 1 and Gérard Feldzer 2 , current President and Vice President. Its headquarters are in Paris. Zebunet’s action started in Vietnam, where a partnership with Vétérinaires sans frontières helped support 277 families through pig farming in 2002. The success of this first field experiment encouraged the association to continue its activities in Vietnam but also to put them in place in other parts of the world.
Zebunet is now active in five countries: Burkina Faso , Madagascar , Mauritania , Niger and Vietnam .
Principles of Action
The action of Zebunet is based on a renewed vision of the North-South relationship that takes the form of solidarity loans. An economic partnership is set up between a subscriber of the North and a peasant of the South, the first becoming the “funder” of the second.
In fact, the amount invested by the individual in France when subscribing to a loan is made available to a family in the country of his choice. It finances the purchase of one or more animals: zebu, pig, goat or ewe depending on the country. The animals will allow the farmer to build a herd, to produce meat and milk. The farmer repays his loan, at the end of a period ranging from 1 to 3 years, thanks to the products of his breeding or income from complementary activities.
The association Zebunet plays the role of intermediary between investor and borrower. It facilitates the transaction after having studied the feasibility of the projects and entrusted the implementation to a local relay. To allow a farmer to develop his agricultural activities via a loan is the first step to ensure, in the long term, his financial autonomy.
If microcredit is the central link in the Zebunet association’s action, other initiatives are being developed to reinforce the impact of this first impulse. In southern countries: support projects in support of livestock and environmental projects. In France, in order to strengthen the North-South link, solidarity tourism activities and awareness-raising activities, particularly through partnerships with schools, are being put in place.