MADISON, Wis.— Elenita San Roque, CEO of the Asian Confederation of Credit Unions, Thailand, and Kristi Lozano, Financial Education Specialist at San Mateo Credit Union in California have been named winners of 2014 Network Empowerment Grants that will be used to improve the financial status of women in their communities. The awards were presented by The Global Women's Leadership Network. The grants follow participation earlier this year by San Roque and Lozano and four other women in the Network's scholarship program at the annual Forum that was part of the 2014 World Credit Union Conference in Australia.
Each woman was charged with designing a concept that would increase access to credit, loans, savings and leadership opportunities for women in their communities. Network members voted on the proposals, and World Council staff evaluated the potential projects on several criteria related to the projects' strength, financial needs, opportunity for Network membership involvement and potential value to the community. San Roque will work with Paglaum Multi-Purpose Cooperative the Philippines to establish a business development center that will help advance women members' entrepreneurial and leadership skills, while Lozano's project aims to increase the financial and leadership skills of female high school credit union members, and assist in their preparation to enroll in a college or university.
Network members voted on project proposals during the 2014 Global Women's Leadership Network Forum in Australia from scholarship winners including (left to right) Esther Keino (Kenya); Kristi Lozano (USA); Triza Tsiga Magreta (Malawi); and Elenita San Roque (Thailand).