ACCU would like to to contribute to the development of a sustainable market-oriented rural financial system in Lao PDR to contribute to poverty reduction. Therefore the purpose of this project is to support the establishment of a credit union support institute to enable the development and replication of a sustainable micro savings and credit portfolio to service poor and rural low income groups. The specific objectives are: 1. Establish a Credit Union Support Institute 2. Development of technical resources for credit unions 3. Consolidation of existing VSCG’s 4. Improved capacity of Savings and Credit Unions 5. Strengthen BoL SCU monitoring capacity The expected results of this project are: Result 1: Credit Union Support Institute established Result 2: Development of technical resources for credit unions Result 3: Consolidation of existing village savings and credit groups Result 4: Improved capacity of Vientiane Savings and Credit Union Result 5: Strengthen Bank of Lao PDR SCU monitoring capacity Result 6: Elaboration of an enabling environment for cooperatives (in collaboration with ICA)

This proposal on Credit Union Development in Asia 2008-2010 fits well into our collaboration with ACCU, and builds upon previous projects supported by Agriterra. The project can be split up into the following different parts: 1. Consolidation of WECUMI – Women Empowerment in Credit Unions through Microenterprise. This subproject is composed of the following four major development programs: - Microenterprise Skills Development Training - E-Commerce for Microenterprise - Continuation of WECUMI - Entrepreneurial Networking - Regional activities on WECUMI 2. Marketing Credit Union in Countries in Transition, Cambodia and Laos, as a vehicle for Poverty Alleviation. Expected output Cambodia: - Train 50 Managers on Credit union tools and management - Conduct 100 community level training sessions - Conduct 3 exposure programs and train 20 credit union leaders in Cambodia - Better legal environment for credit union development. - Mobilized savings of US$ 150,000 from 20,000 members - At least 2,000 cooperative leaders are trained to manage the village level savings and credit cooperative - Change the concept of micro credit to microfinance with people’s participation. Expected output LAOS: -Three credit unions with Institutional Capacity, Manager, Office and at least 500 members - Train 10 government office field officers on credit union management - Conduct 30 community level training sessions - Conduct three exposure programs and train 20 credit union leaders - Mobilized savings US$ 20,000 from 5,000 members - At least 2,000 village level community members are trained on value of savings - To organize Savings based Microfinance network organization. 3. Marketing Credit Union to Youth. Previous project has implemented youth products development of credit unions as pilot basis in Thailand. The analysis of membership profile of Credit Unions revealed that 80% of the present members are belonging to the age group of year 45 to 65. It is considered as one of major problems in credit unions. The leaders of credit unions have recognized the need to reach out young people to insure the sustainability of credit unions. Therefore ACCU would be developing appropriate marketing strategies and financial products based on the needs and lifestyles of the youth. The programs will be piloted in Thailand and introduce another country with members of ACCU. So the following activities will be executed: - The Strategic Planning workshop - Development of Credit Union Solution for Youth Marketing - Technical support on the implementation of Credit Union Solution - Youth Ambassadors’ Internship Program - Regional Program on youth The impact of this project will be: • Introduced sustainable people’s organization • Introduce savings mobilization activities in the Community • Increased democratic participation at grassroots level • Institutional building of 50 credit unions in Cambodia and 60 credit unions in Luang Prabhang • Increased women representation in Community activities The total budget for the period 2008-2010 is Euro 573.270. Specification: ACCU: Euro 25.750 per year Agriterra: Euro 165.340 per year

To project aims to provide affordable financial services to ‘have less’ and entrepreneurial women members of credit unions in Nepal, Indonesia and Thailand. The project will support partner credit unions on training that will in turn enable them to run Credit Union Microfinance Innovation (CUMI) as a new product offering for the ‘have less’ sector of the community. The project will also support the National Federations’ Business Development Center (BDC) that will provide assistance to credit union women entrepreneur members. The BDC will help members engaged in viable and innovative enterprise, access to markets, improve skills and quality of products. The project will support ACCU members in Nepal, Indonesia and Thailand. Cambodia The project will continue to support the expansion of membership of the savings groups transformed to CBFIs (Community Based Financial Institutions) or credit unions in partnership with SEDOC (Socioeconomic Development Organization of Cambodia). Currently, the project has reached 5,000 individual members having access to financial services from CBFIs. The project will support in the efficient operation of the CBFIs and improving the capacity of SEDOC in supporting CBFIs. Lao In Lao the project will provide people in the rural communities of Luang Prabhang access to affordable financial services as well as improved social accountability. The Luang Prabhang provincial government has adopted the promotion of credit unions as its strategy for community development. The project will take advantage of this strategy. Partnership with the government has been established. The project will then provide training for the field officers of the provincial government who will in turn promote credit unions in their respective areas. They will be equipped with knowledge and credit union tools. At the same time, ACCU will also assist in training the community leaders. Meanwhile, ACCU has signed an MOU with the Lao Women Union and SNV Laos to establish two credit unions in Luang Prabhang. For this, ACCU will train the officers of Lao Women Union and SNV. ACCU plans to design model products and services meeting the financial goals of youth market. It is also important to develop mechanisms and programs that will attract youth to involve in credit unions. These programs are aimed to develop the leadership skills, appreciation of the values and philosophy of credit unions that would ultimately turn this youth as loyal members and advocates of credit unions. The project plans to develop marketing techniques suited on the lifestyles of young generation.

Consolidation of Credit Unions Development in Laos PDR General description: The Project involves the training of village leaders and government officers to build skills on Credit Union management and organizational training. The Project is expected to train 360 community leaders and village-level government officers on Credit Union development. Through capacity-development training, the Project will consolidate and enhance management-capacity among the existing 49 Credit Unions and organize 25 new Credit Unions. The Project will have direct benefit to 12,000 families and 18,000 members.

This technical assistance project for the promotion and strengthening of rural finance in Cambodia is a continuation of the first phase (from 2003 to March 2005). During the first phase policies, systems and procedures have been introduced that are part of the total framework for credit union development. During this phase ACCU collaborated closely with CCSF and SEDOC. 81 Savings banks exist which regroup 1.029 groups and almost 20.000 members. Phase 2 is a continuation of the capacity building of CCSF and SEDOC. CCSF and SEDOC have to develop the institutional capacity of established savings banks. Another objective is the existence of a regulatory framework for credit cooperatives. Thirdly, the program envisage the introduction of a micro-insurance program.

This project is a continuation of project 0336-1825. The project provides technical assistance to strengthen and promote credit unions as mechanism of delivering rural finance services in rural Cambodia. The project is guided by the Asian Confederation of Credit Unions (ACCU). ACCU is an umbrella organisation for savings and credit federations in Asia. ACCU will assist and guide their Cambodian affilates, Cambodia Community Savings Federation (CCSF) and Development Organisation of Cambodia (SEDOC) in enhancing the development of the savings & credit movement in Cambodia by: 1) enhancing the legal context and policy environment for savings and credit unions in cambodia and 2) enhancing the capacities of SEDOC and CCSF in the management and guiding of savings and credit unions.

The project is a follow-up of an earlier project implemented by 3 national savings and credit organisation (in Nepal, Sri Lanka and Indonesia), guided by ACCU and funded by Agriterra. In the first project period a total of 6530 women were newly recruited and trained in income generating activities. The methodology used (CUMI) combines saving, credit provision, training provision and stepswise development of additional income generating activities. The present project proposal aims at consolidating and extending project results to 100 Credit Unions in 4 countries (Nepal, Sri Lanka, Indonesia and Thailand).Institutionalising training capacities (through establishment of business centers), extend the micro-enterprise training to 3.750 new businesswomen, provide loans to 6.000 women enterpreneurs worth US $ 360.000 and further consolidate the CUMI methodology.

ACCU is een koepel van krediet organisaties in Azie. Er zijn 13 nationale credietorganisaties lid van ACCU. In 1999 vertegnwoordigde deze nationale organisaties 14. 084 credit unions met 8.961.124 leden. ACCU werkt zowel in de stad als op het platteland. Dit project richt zich op de versterking van rurale vrouwen door verhoging van het inkomen. Er wordt gewerkt in Nepal, Thailand en Indonesie. De organisaties daar zijn Credit Union Coordination in Indonesia, Chapter Eastern (CUCO); Saccos, microfiance project Chitwan, Nawalparasi District, Nepal (Nepal CU); Credit Union legue of Thailand (CULT). In samenwerking met Agriterra voert ACCU een programma uit ter bevordering van de participatie van vrouwen binnen spaar & krediet coöperaties binnen 4 aangesloten nationale coöperatieve federaties in Indonesië, Nepal, Thailand en Sri Lanka.

ACCU is the umbrella association of savings- and credit federations in Asia. The programme is guided and fascilitated by ACCU and implemented by NEFSCUN-Nepal, SANASA-Sri Lanka and CUCO-Indonesia. The project provides technical assistance to at least 15-20 selected credit unions in the three selected countries 9Nepal, sri Lanka and Indonesia) to introduce micro-finance to enterprise poor women through a stepswise approach. Each credit union is expected to reach out at least 100 women, reaching 4500-6500 women in total. The project involves the establishment of a Centre for Business development, the conduction of an extensive training programme through training of trainers focussed on Micro-enterprise skills development and business planning and management training. The results of the pilot in terms of strategy building and lessons learned will be used to develop and duplicate the concept within other savings & credit federations affiliated to ACCU.

The project provides technical assistance to strengthen and promote credit unions as mechanism of delivering rural finance services in rural Cambodia. The project is guided by the Asian Confederation of Credit Unions (ACCU). ACCU is an umbrella organisation for savings and credit federations in Asia. ACCU will assist and guide their Cambodian affilates, Cambodia Community Savings Federation (CCSF) and Development Organisation of Cambodia (SEDOC) in enhancing the development of the savings & credit movement in Cambodia by: 1) enhancing the legal context and policy environment for savings and credit unions in cambodia and 2) enhancing the capacities of SEDOC and CCSF in the management and guiding of savings and credit unions.