MADISON, Wis.–The World Council of Credit Unions and CUNA are calling on House and Senate appropriators to increase funding for the USAID's Cooperative Development Program (CDP) to $17 million from the previous year’s $12 million.
The CDP is a is a global initiative that focuses on building capacity of cooperative businesses and cooperative systems for self-reliance, local ownership and sustainability, WOCCU and CUNA said, noting the Senate Appropriations Committee passed a bill in September providing $17 million, while the House-passed bill provides $14.5 million.
The organizations said World Council President and CEO Brian Branch signed on to two letters with CUNA President and CEO Jim Nussle requesting the higher amount passed in the Senate version.
“As the House and Senate move to reconcile these two bills, we respectfully urge you to advocate for the Senate-passed position of funding for this critically important program at $17 million for fiscal year 2020,” the letters read. “With their specialized expertise, CDP’s implementing partners have advanced cooperative businesses and systems in more than 18 countries in Africa, Latin America, and Asia. Activities are targeted to strengthen cooperative businesses in several ways including improved governance, capitalization, gender empowerment, youth engagement, financial management, market performance and advocacy.”
What is Prioritized
The organizations note the program also prioritizes collaboration among partners through working groups, cooperative research, learning and dissemination of cooperative development resources.
During the life of the program, WOCCU and CUNA said activities have supported more than 500 cooperatives and credit unions with a combined savings of $495 million.
According to the two groups, other achievements include:
- Providing health insurance and services to more than 42,000 people in Uganda
- Leveraging more than $95 million of investments for cattle cooperatives in South Africa
- Increasing member equity among cacao cooperatives in Ecuador, Peru, and the Dominican Republic by more than $4 million
- Reforming cooperative law and regulation in Mozambique, Tanzania, Uganda, and Kenya
World Council reminded its Technology and Innovation for Financial Inclusion (TIFI) is a CDP-funded project being implemented in Kenya and Burkina Faso runs through August 2023.