By Chanratana Som, CUFA Cambodia Country Program Manager

In early April, Community Investor, Colin Lenton, Director of Family First Credit Union, and his wife, Annette, made the most of being in Cambodia, wanting to see first-hand some of CUFA’s work.

The couple was able to visit their Village Entrepreneurs and some other projects including the Credit Union Outreach (CUO), Children’s Financial Literacy (CFL) program and Village Entrepreneur (VE) programs.

They started their visit at the Takeo Community Forestry Integrated Development Association (TCFIDA) Village Savings Bank and Achaleak Credit Union in Kampong Thom province; hearing stories of successes, challenges and extending friendly insight from Colin’s Australian Credit Union experience.

Next Colin and his wife had the opportunity to meet their own VEs, one a chicken farmer, the other a motor bike repairer. Both VEs hoped that by building a sustainable business they would be able to keep their children in school now and in the future. The importance placed on education and the potential it has to create deep change and as a long term solution to poverty was a shared value between the VEs, Colin and Annette.

Colin and his wife have expressed their gratitude for the opportunity to visit CUFA’s projects and especially their Village Entrepreneurs, being able to visit these programs up close, provided a great insight into how they are run and the life-changing impact they are having on individuals, families and whole communities.