Join a curated group of financial professionals for an immersive journey into financial inclusion
Key Program Benefits
Networking
Connect with leading financial professionals, investors, and development finance experts in an exclusive setting.
Field Visits
Experience impact investing firsthand through direct interactions with microfinance institutions and local entrepreneurs.
Market Insights
Gain deep insights into Senegal’s financial inclusion landscape and emerging investment opportunities.
Financial Inclusion
Understand how financial institutions support women entrepreneurs and underserved communities through tailored solutions.
Program Overview
Join a unique Learning Journey designed for institutional investors, financial professionals, and development finance specialists.
This immersive experience provides firsthand exposure to financial inclusion and impact investing, featuring:
- Meetings with microfinance institutions
- Interactions with women-led micro-enterprises
- Exclusive roundtable discussions with industry experts
- Exploration of digital financial inclusion tools
Who Should Attend?
This program is ideal for:
- Institutional investors
- Development Finance Institutions (DFIs)
- Bank executives and financial service leaders
- Development finance professionals
- Private foundations
Why Should Institutional Investors, Philanthropists, and Development Actors Join?
For institutional investors, philanthropists, and impact-driven stakeholders, the Learning Journey to Kenya and Uganda offers a rare chance to engage meaningfully with the ecosystems they aim to support. This executive-level field immersion delivers direct exposure to financial institutions and local communities working at the forefront of inclusive housing and agricultural finance.
Participants will meet clients, explore innovative financing models, and engage in peer-level dialogue, providing the kind of contextual intelligence that sharpens strategy, strengthens due diligence, and unlocks new pathways for catalytic capital. While not academically accredited, the experience is carefully curated to deliver high learning value and purpose-driven insight. Join us to witness inclusive finance in action, deepen your impact lens, and return equipped with stories, connections, and knowledge that inform both funding and investment decisions.
Program Structure
This five-day immersive experience blends workshops, field visits, and interactive sessions, allowing participants to engage directly with key players in the financial inclusion ecosystem.
The program is flexible and adaptive, designed to incorporate emerging themes in microfinance.
Key Themes
- Microfinance as a tool for economic empowerment
- Challenges and opportunities in financial inclusion (urban & rural contexts)
- The impact of financial literacy and digital innovation on MSMEs
- The role of impact investment in funding and technical assistance
This exclusive experience offers unparalleled access to insights, best practices, and networking opportunities with leading experts in the field.
Ready to explore impact investing firsthand?
Register your interest today!What Does a Day in a Learning Journey Look Like?
Each day of the Learning Journey is designed to provide a rich, hands-on experience, combining expert insights, real-world interactions, and meaningful discussions.
Morning | Deep Dive into Financial Inclusion
Kick off the day with exclusive sessions featuring microfinance institutions, policymakers, or local financial service providers. Gain firsthand insights into the financial inclusion landscape and the role of impact investing in fostering economic empowerment.
Mid-Morning | Field Visits and Entrepreneurial Stories
Step into the real world of micro-entrepreneurs and women-led businesses. Visit financial institutions and witness how microfinance empowers small businesses, particularly in rural and underserved communities.
Afternoon | Workshops and Interactive Discussions
Participate in expert-led workshops and roundtable discussions exploring essential themes such as financial literacy and digital inclusion, the challenges and opportunities within urban and rural financial ecosystems, and the role of impact investment in supporting microfinance institutions.
Late Afternoon | Debrief and Peer Learning
Wrap up the day with collaborative debriefing sessions, where participants share key takeaways, reflections, and insights. A unique opportunity to deepen your understanding and exchange perspectives with peers.
Evening | Networking and Cultural Experience
Beyond the learning sessions, enjoy networking opportunities with industry leaders and local professionals, or explore cultural landmarks for a deeper connection with the region.
Recap Video – Learning Journey in Senegal
Past Journeys in Senegal
In April 2025, Symbiotics organized a Learning Journey to Senegal, focusing on the funding gap and the role of microfinance in empowering female entrepreneurs and MSMEs. Participants engaged with local financial service providers and entrepreneurs in both urban and rural contexts, gaining hands-on insights into the microfinance ecosystem.
In November 2024, Symbiotics organized a pilot edition of its Learning Journey in Senegal, designed to offer participants a firsthand perspective on the country’s microfinance landscape. The program focused on the challenges and opportunities faced by women entrepreneurs and MSMEs, highlighting how financial inclusion can drive sustainable development. Through immersive field visits, workshops, and exchanges with local financial institutions, participants gained valuable insights into how inclusive finance empowers underserved communities across both urban and rural areas.
Testimonials
“When you deal with offering emerging market financial inclusion investments to professionals, a lot goes around explaining what concrete difference their money can make. A learning journey like the one I did in Senegal with Symbiotics Capacity Building enables you to see with your own eyes how the last mile is walked by microfinance institutions, and to interact in person with their management, their staff, and their end-clients. Listening to their direct feedback and discussing their entrepreneurial journey is not only a unique opportunity to learn: it ultimately empowers you to revert to your stakeholders back home with real stories that give flesh and bone to your impact promise. A highly recommended experience.”
Gaël Marteau, Head of Clients, Symbiotics France
“Experiencing financial inclusion firsthand in Senegal was truly eye-opening. Seeing how microfinance empowers local entrepreneurs and transforms lives reinforced the real impact of our work beyond the numbers.”
Rodrigo Ferrer, BI Solutions Manager, Symbiotics
