By David Nguyen, Programs Manager CUFA
“I would like to thank to all the people concerned with this project, and I hope our credit union will be stronger and sustainable in the future”.
In May we celebrated Mother’s Day, to commemorate this special day, CUFA spoke to a hard working from Myanmar and how being part of a her local credit union has opened up opportunities for her and her children.
CUFA listens to her insight as she waits to pick up her daughter from school. Mrs Pa Khin, a 58 years old mother of five loves her children, and strives to provide for her children. Mrs Pa Khin works extraordinary hours in her grocery business that she was able to setup by taking out a loan with her local credit union; one of three credit unions in the town of Lashio.
Business has been going well and she has been able to make her scheduled repayments, moreover she’s been also been able to save five thousand kyats ($5 AUD) a month on top of her loan repayments.”Being part of my local credit union, I have a place where I can borrow money to expand and grow my business. I did not have to worry about having to resort to borrowing money from unethical money lenders. Being able to borrow of a credit union I know what my repayments are without having to worry that it was out of control, I am able to be on top of my finances and plan for my future and the future of my children with their education”. Pa Kin said.
Mrs Pa Khin is heavy involved in her school-aged daughter’s school, expressing her views of how important it is for her children to go to school, to give them the best opportunity for a better life.
“My daughter attends a school in Sasana Hitakari, a unique school run by nuns [from the Buddhist faith]. Education is a place for learning and development as it will allow my children to be able to stand on their own two feet one day. It’ll give them options for their future, a choice on what they want to be” she said. Mrs Pa Khin does hope that her children never forgets where they come from, their culture, its literature and their nation.
Being involved with the school and the credit union, she knows that the credit unions supports the teachers of the non-government supported school.
Talking about the Teacher’s project she said “the project is able to support the credit unions so that its members are able to have the opportunity to take out loans safely and at competitive rates, more importantly members do not need to take out loans from middle men [unethical money leaders] and we don’t need to lose face when we borrow from them. Moreover, we know that the profits from the loans are supporting the teachers from my children’s school. So it’s good!”
“I would like to thank to all the people concerned with this project, and I hope our credit union will be stronger and sustainable in the future.”
The Teachers Project is supported by the Teachers Mutual Bank, Victoria Teachers Mutual Bank and QT Mutual Bank
