The Christian Commission for Development Establishes Rural Banks in Honduras
The Christian Commission for Development (CCD) Rural Bank Project in Honduras works to improve the economic and social conditions of participating families and their rural communities. Participants in this project come from all backgrounds and can be of any culture, gender, or religious belief. Many participants have received funds from the rural banks and are beginning small businesses.
Rural banks have been established in the communities of El Provenir, Francisco Morazán, and Pespire. The formation of each bank requires training, meetings with local mayors, and a lengthy legal process. The CCD provided training to each new staff members of the rural banks according to local priorities. Meetings were held with the mayors of each town, where participant families gained the support of their mayors and aided the new banks in their registration process. Registering each bank with local and national officials has been a lengthy legal process which ultimately required the help of legal counsel. However, registering each bank benefits the bank by ensuring processes for proper fund management, transparency, security, and the ability to apply externally for funds.
A positive result of the Rural Banks project the CCD has witnessed already is the availability of products not previously available in these rural communities. This includes new local shops selling grains, baked goods, dairy products, honey, and vegetables. Previously, persons in these communities would travel long distances and to neighboring communities to purchase these products. Additionally, the Rural Banks project has helped facilitate the cohesion of families involved in the project and has given them the chance to organize and advocate for themselves with their local government officials.
Donato, President of the CCD Rural Bank in Francisco Morazán, wrote, our community has learned together. We learned not only about securities issues and accounting reporting, we also learned how to better support one another. Our group began with ten individuals and now our group has grown to a collaboration of thirty partners. We are thankful for this collaboration with CCD and hope to continue working with the CCD.
Read more about CCD here.