06au-4839 The Project on Credit Union Development in Asia Phase 3
| budget |
€ 197.332,49 |
status |
finished |
| start date |
01-01-2007 |
date end |
31-12-2007 |
| location |
|
country |
south east asia |
| financer |
Agriterra |
| executor |
Association of Asian Confederation of Credit Unions |
intervention level |
regional |
| Programmes |
| work area 08: Banking and Credit sector (including Insurance) | IFAP 08: Ensure secure access to resources | |
| description |
To project aims to provide affordable financial services to ‘have less’ and entrepreneurial women members of credit unions in Nepal, Indonesia and Thailand. The project will support partner credit unions on training that will in turn enable them to run Credit Union Microfinance Innovation (CUMI) as a new product offering (...more...) |
| description |
To project aims to provide affordable financial services to ‘have less’ and entrepreneurial women members of credit unions in Nepal, Indonesia and Thailand. The project will support partner credit unions on training that will in turn enable them to run Credit Union Microfinance Innovation (CUMI) as a new product offering for the ‘have less’ sector of the community. The project will also support the National Federations’ Business Development Center (BDC) that will provide assistance to credit union women entrepreneur members.
The BDC will help members engaged in viable and innovative enterprise, access to markets, improve skills and quality of products. The project will support ACCU members in Nepal, Indonesia and Thailand.
Cambodia
The project will continue to support the expansion of membership of the savings groups transformed to CBFIs (Community Based Financial Institutions) or credit unions in partnership with SEDOC (Socioeconomic Development Organization of Cambodia). Currently, the project has reached 5,000 individual members having access to financial services from CBFIs. The project will support in the efficient operation of the CBFIs and improving the capacity of SEDOC in supporting CBFIs.
Lao
In Lao the project will provide people in the rural communities of Luang Prabhang access to affordable financial services as well as improved social accountability. The Luang Prabhang provincial government has adopted the promotion of credit unions as its strategy for community development. The project will take advantage of this strategy. Partnership with the government has been established. The project will then provide training for the field officers of the provincial government who will in turn promote credit unions in their respective areas. They will be equipped with knowledge and credit union tools. At the same time, ACCU will also assist in training the community leaders. Meanwhile, ACCU has signed an MOU with the Lao Women Union and SNV Laos to establish two credit unions in Luang Prabhang. For this, ACCU will train the officers of Lao Women Union and SNV.
ACCU plans to design model products and services meeting the financial goals of youth market. It is also important to develop mechanisms and programs that will attract youth to involve in credit unions. These programs are aimed to develop the leadership skills, appreciation of the values and philosophy of credit unions that would ultimately turn this youth as loyal members and advocates of credit unions. The project plans to develop marketing techniques suited on the lifestyles of young generation. (...less...) |
| results & observations |
Credit Union Promotion in Cambodia:
The project supported the expansion of membership of the savings groups transformed to CBFIs (Community Based Financial Institutions) or credit unions in partnership with SEDOC (Socioeconomic Development Organization of Cambodia). The project has reached 4,500 individual members having access to financial services from CBFIs. The project (...more...) |
| final results & observations |
Credit Union Promotion in Cambodia:
The project supported the expansion of membership of the savings groups transformed to CBFIs (Community Based Financial Institutions) or credit unions in partnership with SEDOC (Socioeconomic Development Organization of Cambodia). The project has reached 4,500 individual members having access to financial services from CBFIs. The project supports the efficient operation of CBFIs and improved capacity of SEDOC in sustaining CBFIs. ACCU provided technical assistance on organizational development and financial management of SEDOC. SEDOC also maintains the traditional NGO management style and is entirely run by one person not the system. ACCU introduced a management system, internal reporting system and computerized the accounting system to SEDOC. ACCU has conducted three training programs for SEDOC staff on Credit Union Management as well as enhance their training ability. Totally 27 CBFIs are organised by SEDOC and 27 community based savings programs are managed by elected people. Approximately 35% of the member of CBFIs in Cambodia are women.
Credit Union Promotion in Laos:
The project collaborated with the Luang Prabang Provincial Government to promote credit unions as instruments for poverty alleviation. The project provided further technical assistance to improve the capacity of savings groups to serve the people in the rural communities of Luang Prabang through the access of affordable financial services and improved social accountability. The Luang Prabang provincial government has adopted the promotion of credit unions as its strategy for community development. As of December 2007, 57 savings groups operating in Luang Prabang Province of Laos are organized.
Totally 45 community based credit unions are organized in Laos with 2500 members. The total savings of credit unions amount is USD 63.809. Next to it the democratic participation at grassroots level has been increased because 2147 members of credit unions gain access to affordable financial services. Besides the staff of the Provincial Government of Lulng Prabang SNV Lao, Lao Women Union are trained to provide technical assistance to build the capacity of credit union. Approximately 40% of the members of credit unions in Laos are women.
Credit Union Youth:
About 20 credit unions agreed to implement youth program, it is expected to increase youth participation at least 100 each credit union with a total of 2000. Next to it the development of tools is in progress.
Beside it CULT adopted the national program on youth promotion and ACCU will provide technical assistance to launch the program during the project period.
The direct beneficial of the project is 14.792 persons (of which 11.624 women).
The executed activities and results were mostly as planned.
(...less...) |
| specialisms |
| Banking and credit sector (incl. insurance) | |
PROPOSAL
| Agri-agency | Own contribution executor | Other parties | Total requested budget |
|---|
| Agriterra | ACCU | | |
| € 0,00 + € 0,00 | € 0,00 | € 0,00 | € 166.740,00 |
The proposal consists of 3 components:
1. Consolidation of WECUMI – Women Empowerment in Credit Unions through Microenterprise
2. Marketing Credit Union in Countries in Transition as a vehicle for Poverty Alleviation
This program is the continuation of the existing programs started in Cambodia and Lao.
Cambodia; The project will provide training, development of policies, systems and procedures for both SEDOC and CBFIs. Further, ACCU will continue to lobby with the Bank of Cambodia for the regulatory framework of credit unions.
Laos; The project will partner with the Luang Prabhang Provincial Government to promote credit unions as instrument for poverty alleviation.
3. Marketing Credit Union to Youth
Credit unions are beset with problem on aging membership and leadership. The youth are not attracted to credit unions because of their outdated products that do not meet the needs of the young generation. |
GOALS
- the WECUMI component of the project aims to provide affordable financial services to ‘have less’ and entrepreneurial women members of credit unions in Nepal, Indonesia and Thailand.
- in Cambodia ACCU aims to support the expansion of membership of the savings groups transformed to CBFIs (Community Based Financial Institutions) or credit unions
- in Laos the aim is to provide people in the rural communities of Luang Prabhang access to affordable financial services, next to this project component the aim is to improve social accountability to members
- in the Youth Marketing program the goal is to design model products and services meeting the financial goals of youth market and to develop mechanisms and programs that will attract youth to involve in credit unions |
