I met Mr. Robert Kofi Ngissah (who had come all the way from Ghana to Kenya) at Diani Beach Resort in Kwale County – Mombasa in February 2017. We were both in the Credit Unions Development Educators class of 2017, simply known as DE class of 2017 in short. We had been drawn to Kenya by the desire to perfect our SACCO craft, professionalise our practice and become certified Credit Union / SACCO professionals. Credit Unions are also known as SACCOs all over Africa, which is an acronym that stands for Savings and Credit Cooperatives.

Mr. Robert Kofi Ngissah, ADE, who is incidentally also a teacher by profession, is the author of a valuable book entitled CREDIT UNION EDUCATION: For members and potential members

Once you read this book you wish to place it in the hands of the 1.2 billion people of Africa. I bought the book at the DE Auction in Kwale. It was our commitment to contributing to DE education in Africa.  Such fundraising auctions are a tradition of DE classes for the sponsorship of the deserving under-privileged people to become certified DEs too.  The Africa Confederation of Cooperative Savings and Credit Associations (ACCOSCA) announces every year when registration for a particular year opens and closes.

When you get to know SACCOs and you hear that they have been around for nearly 200 years, you cannot but wonder how generally the business model appear to be a jealously guarded “Best Kept Secret” in the world of financial services. It must not remain so any longer, everybody must hear or at best read about this tried and tested people’s socio-economic enterprise, by the people and for the people. It is not a panacea to all international development issues but certainly it is part of the solution to holistic socio-economic transformation, to human development and the empowering of a people, to “enriching nations and enhancing integration” and relegating poverty to museums while at it.

Mr. Robert Kofi Ngissah has given The Sacconstellation permission to publish the first chapter of the book in this first issue of the publication.

The Contents of the book CREDIT UNION EDUCATION: For members and potential members, are as follows:

Introduction

1. Credit Union Concept
2. The Credit Union Movement
3. Organisation of Credit Unions
4. Products and Services
5. Members Roles and Responsibilities, Rights and Benefits
6. How to enjoy Credit Union Membership
7. Solutions to Credit union Membership Challenges
8. Why must I Join a Credit Union

NB: A project was muted for the book to be adapted to suit all jurisdictions reflecting laws and currencies all over Africa as a collaborative DE project. If it can be justified the same project when done would have seen the book translated into many languages spoken in Africa one at a time beginning with:

1. French
2. Portuguese
3. Kiswahili

Thanks to Mr. Robert Kofi Ngissah, here is chapter one of the said book (In English)