BY JASON THOMPSON
In October 2003, a credit union worker from South Africa, visited the Community Savings and Credit Union branch in Lively as part of a women?s mentoring program, to learn about the citizens? banking movement.
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Robert Clark, general manager of the Community Savings and Credit Union in Lively, will be visiting Ghana to share his expertise in community banking. |
The branch?s general manager, Robert Clark, says he was amazed at how much they could help the visitor and her credit union.
Upon hearing of an opportunity through the Canadian Cooperative Association (CCA), to travel to Africa through a project called the Ghana Credit Union Coaching Program, Clark jumped at the idea and applied.
His application was approved and Clark, who has been general manager of the Lively branch since 1978, was named to a delegation of 11 Canadians making the trip to the western African country to provide technical assistance to credit unions overseas in order to improve their capacity.
Clark leaves Jan. 23 and returns Feb. 15. Clark will be volunteering at a number of credit unions in central Ghana and is excited about the trip.
?My bags are packed and ready to go,? he said. ?The credit unions there are not as advanced as the ones in Canada. They?re basically the old, what we call, share and loan credit unions, where people put their money in and its loaned out and dividends are paid on the interest. It?s the original type of credit union.?
Clark says the delegation will be split into smaller groups that will tour the country, visiting the credit unions in smaller towns and cities.
The groups will visit six specific areas in Ghana, both urban and rural, in an effort to improve the services offered to Ghana?s credit union
shareholders.
?My purpose is to mentor them, to find out what areas of concern they have and to give practical suggestions to them...If they need help.?
?The cultural and economic environment in Ghana is different, and the people are different, but the problems of managing a credit union are similar.
?Not everything that works in Sudbury will work in Ghana but the basic concepts are similar.
?I hope to get a much larger appreciation of credit union development in Third World countries.?
Clark said the idea of volunteering and helping to develop credit unions is one he?s has on his mind for a few years and rather than wait until his
retirement, Clark?s decided to take the plunge now.
?There have been a lot of really caring credit union people who?ve assisted us over the years and it's time to give a little more back,? said Clark. ?I think we can do quite a bit of good.?
Although he?s excited about the trip, Clark said he?s already looking forward to 2007 when he?ll return to see how Ghana?s credit unions were
influenced and affected by the coaching program.
