World Council Gets Kenyan Remittances Underway

MADISON, Wis. — Most people in the credit union industry associate international remittances with Latin America as credit unions have stepped up with an effort to help newly arrived residents from Latin American countries send money home.

But Latin Americans are not the only ones to use credit union remittance services. Immigrants from African countries also use them. The World Council supports this credit union effort and recently added Kenya to its IRnet, the WOCCU-sponsored international remittance network. World Council says that Kenyans living abroad send more than $600 million every year to friends and family back home. WOCCU and shareholding credit unions in Kenya established IRnet Coop Kenya to provide a fast, safe and convenient way to transfer money. Through the network, people can send remittances through any Vigo Remittance Corp. agent or participating credit union in the United States or Canada to a participating financial institution in Kenya. Members and nonmembers alike may use the service.