The 9th Pacific Credit Union Technical Congress was held in Suva, Fiji, on 5-7 October 2016. Over 110 participants from 14 countries attended to discuss and debate a variety of topics affecting financial cooperatives across the Pacific including governance, fraud, transparency, membership, marketing and leadership.
For the first time, a Women’s Scholarship was awarded.
Thanks to generous support from the New Zealand Credit Union Foundation, the Scholarship enabled a female leader from the financial cooperative sector to attend the Congress. The inaugural winner was Loreen Baniuri, an executive from the Vanuatu Teachers’ Union Credit Union. Mrs Baniuri practised as a primary school teacher for 17 years in Vanuatu and in Australia, before joining the Vanuatu Teachers’ Union. After several attempts at starting a borrowing scheme for members of the union, the VTU Credit Union was started in 2015. The Scholarship enabled Mrs Banuiri to participate in discussions and debates, as well as network with other credit union staff from across the region. She hopes for a bright future for her Credit Union, which has been established to benefit members, their families and the larger community.
Carol Priest, a trustee of the New Zealand Credit Union Foundation, attended the Congress and was able to celebrate the Women’s Scholarship with Mrs Baniuri. A big thank you to Carol and the trustees of the Foundation. After several attempts at starting a borrowing scheme for members of the union, the VTU Credit Union was started in 2015. The Scholarship enabled Mrs Banuiri to participate in discussions and debates, as well as network with other credit union staff from across the region. She hopes for a bright future for her Credit Union, which has been established to benefit members, their families and the larger community. Carol Priest, a trustee of the New Zealand Credit Union Foundation, attended the Congress and was able to celebrate the Women’s Scholarship with Mrs Baniuri.
