Ukraine Agricultural Loan Reimbursement Program Launches with $100,000 Grant from Worldwide Foundation for Credit Unions
The Ukrainian Credit Union Displacement Fund is being tapped to assist nearly 600 farmers amid a growing food shortage
MADISON, Wis.—$100,000 from Worldwide Foundation for Credit Unions’ (WFCU) Ukrainian Credit Union Displacement Fund is providing targeted aid to farmers faced with an increasing food security crisis brought on by Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Utilizing an account set up in collaboration with Ridnia, a Ukrainian NGO, the grant dollars from WFCU will go to reimburse at least 585 farmers on 10% of their agricultural loan principal payments. For a farmer to receive the reimbursement, their loan must have been:
- Issued by a credit union that partners with World Council of Credit Unions’ Credit for Agricultural Producers (CAP) Project, a USAID-funded activity.
- Issued by a credit union that is not operating in an active conflict zone.
These types of agricultural loans typically average 50,000 UAH, or the equivalent of US $1,700.
WFCU will monitor the impact of the reimbursement program and convey the outcomes for both individual farmers and the collective program to the Displacement Fund’s 1,500 donors from across the international credit union community.
“In an ever-increasing global food crisis, WFCU is doing its part to support Ukraine’s credit union member farmers who are at ground zero, facing both economic hardship and resource constraints,” said Mike Reuter, Executive Director of Worldwide Foundation for Credit Unions.
This is the second disbursement from the Ukrainian Credit Union Displacement Fund. WFCU in March awarded a $50,000 grant to the Podolian Agency for Regional Development (PARD), a Ukrainian non-governmental organization that is providing humanitarian assistance to hundreds of refugees from Kyiv, Kharkiv, Mariupol, Kherson, Melitopol and other cities who are seeking refuge in the Vinnytsia region of western Ukraine. PARD used part of the WFCU grant to assemble a temporary shelter, and is also working to purchase and deliver food, water, medicine, bedding and other supplies to internally displaced Ukrainians.
Other assistance programs that will utilize the Ukrainian Credit Union Displacement Fund are currently in development to address specific credit union and member pain points caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which began on February 24.
Since WFCU created and deployed the Displacement Fund on February 27, nearly $1.7 million has been raised from across the international credit union community to support the challenges Ukraine’s credit union system is facing.
The Worldwide Foundation for Credit Unions, as the strategic partner of the World Council, bridges gaps impacting credit unions' ability to grow and advance financial inclusion worldwide. Our commitment to provide global credit union journeys augments our shared vision with World Council's of realizing a vibrant and growing global credit union movement. Worldwide Foundation's philanthropy advances World Council's technical capacity to strengthen credit union systems that advance financial inclusion to underserved communities.
World Council of Credit Unions (WOCCU) is the apex association for credit unions and other global financial cooperatives. World Council promotes the sustainable development of credit unions and other financial cooperatives around the world to empower people through access to high quality and affordable financial services. World Council advocates on behalf of the global credit union system before international organizations and works with national governments to improve legislation and regulation. Its technical assistance programs introduce new tools and technologies to strengthen credit unions' financial performance and increase their outreach.
World Council has implemented 300+ technical assistance programs in 90 countries. Worldwide, 74,634 credit unions in 104 countries serve 411 million people. Learn more about World Council's impact around the world at www.woccu.org.
Organization: World Council of Credit Unions
E-mail: gneumann@woccu.org
Phone: +1 608-395-2048
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