July 3, 2007

Two people from Alterna Savings were among 13 credit union leaders who returned home recently from World Council of Credit Unions' (WOCCU) inaugural Cooperative Learning tour in Ecuador.

Kimberley Ney and Ken Chan from the Ontario credit union participated in the one-week intensive experience reconnecting with their cooperative roots and studying cooperative management issues.

Cooperativa Jardín Azuayo (CJA), a credit union that grew in the aftermath of a 1993 environmental disaster in Ecuador, hosted the group. Participants toured the credit union’s education projects and branch offices and met with managers and elected leaders to learn about its innovative activities, including indirect lending, community partnerships, cooperative education, a for-profit subsidiary and the credit union's unique management structure.

"Our international credit union delegation was often struck by the contrast of high tech and high touch components," said Valerie Breunig, Worldwide Foundation Executive Director and trip leader. "We saw a credit union program in which cell phones checked account balances and transferred money. It's a very successful program that enables CJA to better serve underserved communities."
 
"When we visited a local library that had few books and a series of new computer Internet stations, we realized the extent to which Ecuador is using technology to leap forward," Breunig added.

Following the credit union visits, the WOCCU group also visited four credit union members to see their businesses, learned about World Council's credit union building projects in Ecuador and participated in the opening of a credit union telecentre – a credit union-owned business centre that offers free Internet access and small business services to the community.

A second Cooperative Learning Tour to Ecuador will take place September 30 - October 7, 2007. Ken Bielak of Carpathia Credit Union in Winnepeg will be joining the next tour to Ecuador after winning WOCCU's draw at the 2007 America's Credit Union Conference.

To find out how to join a tour to Ecuador, visit www.woccu.org or contact Valerie Breunig, vbreunig@woccu.org or (608) 395-2055.