Brakwa(C/R), July 13, GNA - The Brakwa-Breman Rural Bank in the Central region has within the past six years granted more than 1.3 billion cedis in loans to 44 women's groups with a total membership of 1,560.
The programme, dubbed "Women in Development", was jointly initiated by the bank and a US-based Non-governmental organisation (NGO), "Freedom from Hunger", in 1992. It, however, formally went into operation in 1994.
Apart from the programme, the bank provides the women with basic education in banking procedures, health and other social services. Mr P.C. Arthur, manager of the bank, made this known when he met members of the Brakwa Women's Pepper Growers Association at Brakwa last Wednesday.
He said, to ensure speedy recovery of loans disbursed to the groups, leaders of the registered associations dealing with the bank have, in collaboration with the management, introduced a special loans repayment scheme under which beneficiaries are obliged to make weekly savings of 2,000 cedis with the bank.
The system has worked satisfactorily since its introduction six years ago, Mr Arthur said, adding that as at now over 1.042 billion cedis in loans granted to customers had been recovered.
He praised the women for their high sense of commitment and honesty. Mr Arthur expressed the hope that the programme would go a long way to encourage more women in the district to register with organised groups to enable them to benefit from the scheme.
He advised members of the associations to use their profits to supplement the efforts of their husbands to give their children good education.
Mr Arthur said the introduction of the credit with education programme had had a very positive impact on the bank, adding that it has helped to mobilise savings from women who were hitherto not dealing with the bank.
He urged members of the various women's savings and credit groups in the area to educate their husbands and other relations on the importance of savings to enable them also to benefit from the operations of the bank.
A spokeswoman for the association thanked the bank for its immense contributions towards the socio-economic activities of women in the Asikuma-Odobeng-Brakwa area and appealed for more assistance.
