Photo: Gerard McGeever, VP of Marketing at Freedom Credit Union, meets with Manuel Llugsha Cushqui, one of the founders and current manager of Cooperativa de Ahorro y Credito "Llankak Runa."� Also pictured is Pamela Kane, translator.
Freedom Credit Unions Vice President of Marketing, Gerard McGeever, and Manuel Llugsha Cushqui, one of the founders and current manager of Cooperativa de Ahorro y Credito "Llankak Runa" met�recently to share ideas and discuss shared opportunities and challenges faced in the credit union industry. The meeting was a way for cultures to come together and learn from each other.
Llankak Runa is a Credit Union created by Manuel's indigenous community located near Ambato, Ecuador. The mission of the Credit Union is to provide credit access for communities traditionally marginalized by mainstream banking institutions.� He is visiting the United States with the hope of connecting to resources here and spreading the word about the credit union/microfinancing movement in Latin America.
Ecuador has a population of approximately 14 million people of which 3.5 million are of indigenous heritage. Historically, the indigenous population in Ecuador has been excluded from full participation in the political and economic pulse of the country. Since the uprising of this population in 1990, the presence of indigenous communities in the Ecuadorian political and economic system has grown. As a consequence, indigenous communities have increasingly taken the lead in developing micro-financing and credit union structures that directly benefit their communities. This economic empowerment has further led to indigenous communities' active participation in the political and social landscape.
Freedom Credit Union, chartered in 1934, is a community-based, full-service financial institution that offers a banking alternative to consumers. Anyone who lives, works, worships, performs volunteer service, or attends school in Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, or Philadelphia Counties is eligible to use its services. Freedom Credit Union has over $600 million in assets and more than 59,000 members, operating branch offices in Abington, Lansdale, Philadelphia and Warminster, Pennsylvania.
