to promote and safeguard, through its joint action, the economic interests of its members, to encourage and create new commercial perspectives and structuring projects in order to contribute to the realization and revitalization of the economies of African countries, in particular through the following means: a. By taking and administering participations and investments in companies and organizations (excluding companies holding residential real estate in Switzerland); b. By acquiring and creating other companies; c. By carrying out all operations of a nature to promote in any way the purpose of the cooperative society and its associates; d. By seeking financial resources; e. By concluding and managing contracts; f. By developing commercial principles and ensuring their strict application; g. By encouraging and promoting the creation of new markets, methods and technologies; h. By encouraging private companies to come together, communicate, exchange information and experiences and cooperate within individual and joint structuring projects; the company may also carry out all financial and commercial operations, in Switzerland and abroad, directly or indirectly related to the main purpose, and take any other measure that seems to adequately support the social purpose or is related to it; it may also create branches and subsidiaries, in Switzerland and abroad.