In 1955, the Andalucían province of Almería, in southeastern Spain, was a drought-ridden area with little infrastructure and a GDP per capita of less than half the national average. Most residents who had not already fled in search of better opportunities were merely subsisting. Today, it is the top Spanish fruit and vegetable growing area […]
CAJAMAR, Cajas Rurales Unidas
Cajamar Caja Rural (soon to change to Cajas Rurales Unidas), is a credit cooperative bank formed by the merging of the credit cooperatives (cajas rurales) of Andalucía (Almería and Málaga in 2000), Murcia (Campo de Cartagena in 1989), Madrid (Grumeco in 2000), Castilla y León (Caja Rural del Duero in 2007), Baleares (Caixa Rural de […]
Closing the Gender Gap in Cooperative Banking
Italy lags behind almost every other European country when it comes to womens employment. Employment rates for men are more than 20 percentage points higher than those for women. And women represent only 4 percent of company board members, the second-lowest rate in Western Europe, even though on average Italian women are better educated than […]
iDEE
iDEE is an association that works to promote the role of women within the cooperative banking system in Italy. It operates within Federcasse, the national federation of cooperative banks in Italy.
Take Two Credit Lines and Call Me in the Morning
Since 1985 Coopemedicos has prescribed financial services to the medical providers of Costa Rica. The credit unions critical care ensures that these practitioners can focus on patient health not financial stress. Coopemedicos offers its members a full pharmacy of treatments for a myriad of monetary ills. Savings accounts, credit, loans and mutual funds maintain a […]
Cooperativa de Ahorro, Crèdito y Servicios Mùltiples de los Mèdicos
Coopermedicos was formed on September 29th, 1984. In May 1985 it was registered with the Department of Social Organizations of the Ministry of Work and Social Security under resolution number 678. Its aim is to improve the economic, social and cultural conditions of its members. According to the cooperatives statute, membership is reserved exclusively for […]
A home of their own thanks to housing finance
“Owning our own home gives us peace of mind and makes life easier,” explains Alimatou Diakité, a member of the Réseau des caisses populaires du Burkina Faso (RCPB). Home ownership is an essential development tool for societies and a dream around the world. Healthy and durable housing provides a foundation for building up family assets, […]
In the Time of the Cooperative: One Large Credit Union on One Small Island
The Dominican Republic occupies half a Caribbean island 48,442square kilometers, and is home to 10 million people. Everyone in the Dominican knows everyone else and word of mouth goes a long way. For 61 years people have been talking about Cooperativa San José, Inc. They have also been entrusting their money to the credit union. […]
Cooperativa de Servicios Múltiples San José, Inc.
Cooperativa San José, Inc. has 61 years of uninterrupted service and over 80,000 members. The cooperative offers its members efficient and competitive financial services. We have a high level of social responsibility, demonstrated also through the San José Foundation for Development. We offer support in the health and social services sectors as well as providing […]
Making farm credit work, from the USA to Armenia
Established in 1916, the Farm Credit System in the United States is a federally chartered network of cooperatives and other organizations, which lends money to agricultural producers, rural homeowners and farm-related businesses and cooperatives. Now, a financial cooperative has been started in Armenia based on the same concept, heavily influenced (and supported) by the system […]