A trip to C?rdoba, Mexico, proved mutually beneficial for Servus Credit Union and the local Caja Yanga credit union.

Four executives from the Alberta, Canada-based credit union provided Caja Yanga staffers training in governance, risk management and technology, while learning more about Semilla Cooperativa (Cooperative Seed), a rural outreach model developed by World Council of Credit Unions.

"The Semilla Cooperativa model and the PDA technology allow us to serve these rural populations that don't have access to any kind of financial services other than traveling to a larger city, which may take an entire day's travel and wages just to get there," said Margarito Saavedra Morales, general manager of Caja Yanga. "With our mobile staff and technology, we're able to accept deposits and loan payments without requiring the member to travel to a branch, saving them considerable time and money."