Ottawa, March 18, 2014
$180,000 over the next three years has been pledged to the Co-operative Development
Foundation of Canada (CDF) ’s project in Sierra Leone by the members of Unifor who contribute to the Social Justice Fund. Unifor is Canada’s largest private sector union with more than 300,000 members across the country, working in every major sector of the
Canadian economy.
90% of Sierra Leoneans are estimated to have limited access to financial services. The
Supporting Credit Union Development in Sierra Leone project to be funded by Unifor is helping to establish a credit union system in one of the poorest countries in the world.
The Social Justice Fund of Unifor has been an important founding partner of the project since 2011, building on its ongoing progress. In delivering this project, CDF works with the
Canadian Co-operative Association (CCA) , the Irish League of Credit Unions Foundation
(ILCUF) and technical experts from the Credit Union Association of Ghana (CUA).
History in the Making
“Co-operative is all oneness, all unity,” says Mrs. Isatu Kargbo, the National Co-operative
Credit Union Association of Sierra Leone (NACCUA SL)’s vice-chairperson. 18 credit unions in Sierra Leone have formed a national association since the project began uniting in a national voice to provide accessible financial services to women and men, both in rural and urban areas in the country. “We will walk together, so that we may improve ourselves and our nation as a whole.”
“CDF believed in the role credit unions are playing to help communities move out of poverty and have pledged ongoing financial support to make this and future achievements possible,” says Mr. Charles Ruys CCA’s technical advisor working in the country.
Credit unions offer the opportunity for communities to create and deliver financial services that are relevant to their needs, allow people to save and plan for the future, access credit for investment purposes, and improve household financial literacy.
Sustainable Support
“Unifor’s funding of this ‘history making’ project ensures that momentum continues for the next three years,” says Julie Breuer, Director of Engagement for CDF and CCA. “Since 2012 the Build a Better World campaign has enabled CDF to support projects where both the need and impact are great.”

The first phase of the project laid the ground work for the co-operative movement in Sierra
Leone. This next phase will see credit union capacity building, system expansion, and the promotion of an enabling legal environment within the country.
This work supports the long-term vision laid out by Sierra Leoneans who are leading the movement to create an inclusive financial institution for the future.
CDF
The Co-operative Development Foundation of Canada (CDF) is a registered charitable organization. It raises money, mostly from Canadian co-operatives and co-op members, to help alleviate poverty by building and strengthening financial and non-financial co-ops in developing countries. Working with the Canadian Co-operative Association (CCA) and other partners, it helps poor communities fight poverty and create more secure lives through community-owned co-ops. For more information, visit: www.cdfcanada.coop
.
Donations to CDF can be made online or by mail to the Co-operative Development
Foundation of Canada, 275 Bank Street, Suite 400, Ottawa, Ontario, K2P 2L6. Tax receipts will be issued for donations over $10.
Unifor
Unifor (formerly known as the Canadian Auto Workers union (CAW) and the
Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada (CEP)) is Canada’s largest private sector union, with more than 300,000 members across the country, working in every major sector of the Canadian economy. Unifor brings a modern approach to unionism: adopting new tools, involving and engaging our members, and always looking for new ways to develop the role and approach of our union to meet the demands of the 21st century.
From its inception, Unifor has become a source of optimism and inspiration that a fairer, more secure future can be won for working people that unions can adapt to changing times and remain a relevant voice for workplace and social justice. For more information, visit: www.unifor.org
For further information, please contact:
Julie Breuer
Director of Engagement
Co-operative Development Foundation of Canada
(613) 238-6711 ext. 215 julie.breuer@coopscanada.coop