Oikocredit British Columbia

Member Profile

Oikocredit believes that poor people can build themselves a better life, if only given the chance, if only given credit.   Their aim is to promote social and economic justice by challenging institutions and individuals to share their resources through socially responsible investments that are used to empower disadvantaged people in the developing world with credit.  These microcredit loans would give a "hand up" not a "hand out" and provides a mechanism for meaningful sharing.      

Oikocredit International has been active in microcredit for over 30 years and has strong roots in the cooperative movement.  Membership in the international cooperative society comes from Support Associations (branches) or large organizations such as national churches. At present Oikocredit International have over 32,000 members mainly in Europe.

Oikocredit BC is one of these Support Associations.  It was started in the year 2000 as a cooperative society and has grown to over 150 members with over $600,000 of investment capital.  Membership involves investing in the local Support Association which then invests in the international cooperative. It then uses the funds to provide loans to help marginalized people reclaim their dignity by giving them the opportunity to work their way out of poverty. Oikocredit is a grassroots to grassroots organization.  Oikocredit loans touch the lives of over 13 million people, the majority of them women.

You can help change the lives of others by including Oikocredit as part of your socially responsible investment portfolio and gain a modest financial return - usually 2% interest.  It can provide diversity to your portfolio and help alleviate poverty - one loan at a time. 

The Oikocredit BC cooperative is available to answer any questions, give presentations and discuss investment possibilities, and can be contacted through the BC website.

To see how your investment might be used, check out the international website at www.oikocredit.org.

Contact Info:

Visit online: www.oikocredit.org/sa/bc