“You’re as handy as a small pot.” Apparently in Ireland this is quite the compliment. Being not Irish it shocked me a little that Louise was comparing our driver, Alfred, to cookware. I didn’t find it especially complimentarey, but Louise asked me what do you always reach for in the kitchen….OK…I get it. Alfred went out today and got us more time on our phone, exchanged some money for us, then sat all day and waited for us. At least I think he did, because he is never far from us.
This was our first day at Ramseyer Co-op and Credit Union in a suburb of Kumasi called Adum. It really looked and felt different than yesterday, there were larger, newer buildings and not as much traders on the streets. There are banks and micro finance companies on every corner, it’s the Kumasian version of Wall Street. Ken Yeboah, the CEO, is a young man full of great ideas to move his credit union forward and bring his members out of poverty. He is proud to display the visual reminders from where Ramseyer came.
The very first Ramseyer Co-op Credit Union
in the churchyard
They are now in a larger space (OK, I thought I had a picture but will upload it Monday), three branches and they have a wonderful boardroom with the capability of video conference....and that's what we did! I have been working on a project with a number of wonderful organizations to bring the wonders of micro financing to students in Alberta. Today we launched that project, with a classroom in Queen Elizabeth High School in Edmonton, another in Bowness High School in Calgary, and Ken and I in Kumasi! What a cool experience!
Ken talked about how a very small loan can help a woman move from "carrying the load" ( a term used for the women and men that walk on these dangerous streets with a load of goods on their head) to a "space" (meaning they take up a space on the side of the road, perhaps with a cart or table). Another small loan may help the trader in her "space" move to a larger, permanent structure (what looks like a shed) that she can keep her goods in and lock up at night. This movement forward helps people keep their children in school, and ultimately can break the cycle. It was powerful to listen to him explain this. And powerful to be able to participate in the launch of a program that hopefully will develop a higher level of social responsibility in some young minds.
I wore my credit union cloth today, it's Friday and cloth day all over Ghana. It's a time when you can walk down the street and identify a credit union member by the shirt or dress they are wearing. My cloth is for the credit unions all through Ghana, and it has a saying "Join the Happy Family". I'm glad I am a part of it.
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