ILCU International Development Foundation

Meet the CU Member
Gibrilla Kabbah is a business owner who sells electronics at his store. He joined Moyamba Credit Union in 2018.

Gibrilla says," I joined the credit union because I did not have startup capital for my business at the time. Through the credit union, I was able to access capital, which allowed me to start and grow my business. The credit union has also supported me in many other ways. It has helped me pay my children’s school fees, take care of my home and family, and continue investing in my business. I encourage anyone who wants to improve their financial situation to join a credit union. It is one of the best ways to grow, save, and support yourself and your family."

Credit unions, like Moyamba Credit Union in Sierra Leone, provide people with access to affordable financial services. They help educate members, build stronger financial institutions, and drive positive change in their communities.

The Foundation had a fantastic two days in the RDS Dublin at the Irish League of Credit Unions Conference and AGM. It was a great chance to reconnect with everyone, discuss our work, and most importantly, thank Irish credit unions for their continued support. We even had a great opportunity to meet and share about our work with former World Boxing Champion Barry McGuigan!

A huge thank you to everyone who stopped by our stand over the two days. It was fantastic to see so many of you in Dublin!

Credit unions are all about "People helping people". We are hugely grateful to those who continue to support the Foundation and our work to build financial inclusion for all.

Thank you to Larne Credit Union for continuing to support our work this year.

With the Irish Credit Union's support, the Foundation can continue to focus on the education and training of staff and volunteers in credit unions and apex organisations, enhancing strong operations and governance within their credit union movements and ensuring much-needed access to affordable and ethical financial services.

Please click here www.ilcufoundation.ie/credit-unions/ if your credit union wants to donate to our work.

We are excited to attend the upcoming ILCU Conference & AGM in Dublin.

Please do stop by Stand 14 to say hello or get more information about the Foundation. We look forward to seeing you at the ILCU Conference &AGM 2026!

📅 Friday 22nd May | 📍 Stand 14, RDS Dublin

In Ethiopia, the Babile Woreda Cooperative Section and Burqa Gudina SACCO Union (Savings and Credit Cooperatives) delivered a capacity-building training for Uriji Jalala RuSACCO leaders in Babile Woreda. The training brought together 22 participants, including 15 women, reflecting the project's strong focus on women's leadership and economic empowerment.

Uriji Jalala RuSACCO (Rural Savings and Credit Cooperatives) is a rural savings and credit cooperative working to expand access to affordable, interest-free financial services for its members, particularly women engaged in livestock trade, small businesses, agriculture, and farm product marketing.

The training focused on strengthening SACCO governance, savings and credit management, financial product rollout, loan appraisal and approval processes. The overall objective was to prepare Uriji Jalala RuSACCO for the rollout of new women-friendly financial products under the Achieved Women's Finance and Economic Empowerment project. This initiative marks an important step toward strengthening women-led cooperative finance and promoting inclusive economic empowerment in rural Ethiopia.