BOISE, Idaho - Three representatives from Idaho’s credit unions traveled for two weeks to the Solomon Islands as part of a partnership agreement between the Idaho CU League and the Solomon Islands CU League. The goal, according to the Idaho league, is to help the 159 credit unions in the South Pacific country to shore up their operations and expand services. Credit unions did not make their debut in the Solomons until the 1980s, and today serve 62,000 members. The country’s credit unions, like the country itself, is still trying to recover from a tsunami earlier this year.
The visit was organized in conjunction with the Credit Union Foundation Australia and the World Council of Credit Unions. Travelers to the Solomon Islands included Shane Berger, chairman of the ICUL and CEO of Beehive FCU; Glenda Hart, vice chair of the league and CEO of Latah FCU, and league President Alan Cameron. According to officials, 85% of the total population lives in rural areas with little or no access to basic financial services or infrastructure. Villages elect treasurers to hand carry the pooled savings of the MicroFinancial Rural Resources Centers to the nearest road and then buy passage on a truck to take them to a CU for deposit–often a two day trip.
Idaho’s CUs have signed a three-year commitment to work with the SICUL. Financial assistance for the trip was provided by Idaho’s CUs, WesCorp, CUNA Mutual Group and American Share Insurance.
