NACCUG, as the apex body for Credit Unions in The Gambia has the mandate to promote and support the development of Co-operative Credit Unions based on the ethos of equality, equity and mutual self-help. For over 23 years it has been in the forefront of fighting poverty through the philosophy and principles of Credit Union.
Human Capacity is one of the key pillars having the potential to cement and propel the progress of every individual, institution or nation towards self-reliance. Capacity Building helps in the effective and efficient translation of development goals into reality; this has made NACCUG to engage in various Training’s. One such training was a one-day workshop for supervisory committee members of credit unions
The training was aimed at increasing the effectiveness of the Supervisory Committee members of selected Credit Unions namely Banjul International Airport Cooperative Credit Union, Gambia Police Force Cooperative Credit Union, Gambia Ports Authority Cooperative Credit Union and Gambia Teachers Union Cooperative Credit Union and was focused on the critical role the committee members play in ensuring the safety and soundness of their credit unions. The training seeks to prepare them to meet the challenges and dynamics of the financial industry and to ensure growth and the protection of members’ deposits and Credit Union assets.
The following topics were covered during the training: Overview of the cooperative principles, Overview of board duties and responsibilities, Understanding financial statements and ratios, Supervisory committee roles and responsibilities and Running effective meetings. 10 participants drawn from the supervisory committees of selected Credit Unions attended.
Training materials covering the contents for the training were prepared and packaged as modules for the participants.Lectures were delivered in a PowerPoint presentation using a projector. Participants were given a dummy financial statement during that lecture so they would have a feel of how financial ratios are computed. Soft copies of all handouts were given to participants as a reference material, it is hoped that the materials would constantly refresh their knowledge and skills acquired during the training. The training was opened by the General Manager, Mr. Baboucarr Jeng. He emphasized the importance of the training since the participants are regarded as the ‘watchdogs’ of their respective credit unions which make their role critical to the safety and soundness of Credit Unions. He therefore, called on them to participate fully and actively so that the objectives of the training to be realized. Participants were allowed to introduce themselves and state which Credit Union they represented.
At the end of the training, participants expressed their appreciation about the training. They all agreed that the training was relevant and the delivery was effective and that their expectations were met.
The General Manager concluded the training by summarizing the key issues highlighted in the training; participants were reminded about their roles in credit union. An open forum was also organized as part of the conclusions to allow participants to share experiences and learn from each other.
