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The Women's Bank Sri Lanka - 25 years
September 03, 2014
The Women's Co-operative - (formerly The Women's Bank) of Sri Lanka has just celebrated its 25 anniversary.    81,000 members in 7,000 savings groups and 258 Branches in all 24 districts of Sri Lanka. Total savings has reached nearly 4 million US$ most of which is revolving through loans to members.

Last week (Aug 26-30) ACHR friends from 8 countries in Asia joined the celebrations and also attended field visits and workshops to learn about the Co-op and its strategies.






​40,000 members packed a stadium in the capital city, Colombo. Also joining the celebration were 2 National Ministers and President of the Bank, Nandasiri Gamage (photo left).

























Somsook Boonyabancha adddresses the gathering bringing good wishes from savings groups from the 19 countries in Asia where ACHR / ACCA implements savings and citywide upgrading activities.



















 




Speeches, dancing, awards, politicians, members ......
Subsqent field visits and learning was orgainsed through collaboration between the Women's Co-op, SEVANATHA, Clafnet, ACHR and UPCA




Field Visits

Groups from Thailand and Indoesia sit in on a Women's Co-op  GROUP Meeting. Just one of the 7,000 groups meeting weekly all over Sri Lanka.




Thai and Indonesia teams relax outside the Group meeting house in Colombo

 



Another field visit south of Gaul.  The Women's Co-op and Sevanatha formed community savings groups here after the Asian tsunami devasted villages in Sri Lanka.
It was good to see the determination of this local group to expand and grow after 10 years.
 



A traditional candle lighting ceremony takes place before the start  of a workshop where the
8 countries will share their experiences of citywide upgrading and savings.



Indonesia presents their activities with a time line stretching the length of the stage.
Other groups came from Thailand, Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Japan,Philippines and Myanmar.
 



 



We will post a full report of the events and learnings soon