Kristin Olsen, Branch Manager for Kootenay Savings, Radium Branch recently travelled to the West African Country of Ghana. This was her second year of a two year assignment with the Canadian Co-operative Association.  (CCA) Janice McGregor, Branch Manager for Kootenay Savings, Invermere Branch travelled to the East African country of Uganda for the first time in a two year assignment.   The Canadian Co-operative Association is a national association for co-operatives in Canada, representing more than nine million co-operative and credit union members from over 2,000 organizations.  The Canadian Co-operative Association’s volunteer Coaching Program takes a hands-on approach that enables Canadian credit union professionals to share their skills and advice directly with their international partner credit unions. Working in teams of two, volunteer coaches spend two weeks sharing their knowledge and expertise with credit unions in the African countries of Uganda, Malawi and Ghana.Olsen and McGregor each spent three days in two different credit unions listening to challenges and offering recommendations.  “A revisit to a third Credit Union that had coaches the previous year was very rewarding. It was great to see the positive impact that our recommendations are making,” said Olsen.Canadians are helping men and women in developing countries turn poverty into prosperity. They are doing this by channelling their knowledge and volunteer services to the International Development program of the CCA and giving generously to its fundraising arm the Co-operative Development Foundation of Canada.