DUCA Financial Services Credit Union Donates $25,000 for Children's Causes; Needs Your Vote to Choose the Most Innovative Project

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Christian Children's Fund of Canada

Dec 01, 2015, 08:10 ET

Christian Children's Fund of Canada Holds Online Contest to Improve Education for Children in Developing Countries

TORONTO, Dec. 1, 2015 /CNW/ - This month, Christian Children's Fund of Canada (CCFC) is holding an online contest to identify an international project to be funded by a $25,000 donation from DUCA Financial Services Credit Union Ltd. (DUCA).

The voting contest, now in its third year, has identified innovative and sustainable solutions to problems experienced by families and community members in developing countries, attracting votes from across Canada and as far away as India.
Vote between Dec. 1 and 31 at ccfcanada.ca/innovation-fund.

Meeting Children's Developmental Needs in Their Formative Years
This year's contest focusses on Innovation in Early Childhood Education (ECE). Early childhood is highly regarded as the most important time for a child's physical, emotional and cognitive growth and development. Sadly, only 12 percent of children from developing countries have access to ECE1.

"Early childhood education is proven to help children be better prepared for school, thereby improving their chances of success in primary and secondary education," says Mark Lukowski, Chief Executive Officer, Christian Children's Fund of Canada. "I am sincerely grateful to DUCA for this significant investment in the healthy brain development of children, which will help them thrive."

Four projects are available for voting:

  • Learning in the Digital Age: Providing new digital technology, such as tablets, to supplement learning for ECE students and teachers in Nicaragua;
  • Food for Thought: Using cattle livestock as a sustainable method to build resources and nutritional support for children in ECE classrooms in Ethiopia;
  • Family Reading Time: Encouraging families to establish regular reading times to supplement learning for students under age five in Paraguay; and
  • Know, Do, Live, Be: Establishing ECE centres with "learning corners" to develop knowledge, skills, personality and respect within ECE students in India.

To learn more about these projects, visit ccfcanada.ca/innovation-fund.

"We like the idea of using a democratic approach to determine which project will benefit from our contribution" said Richard Senechal, President and Chief Executive Officer, DUCA Financial Services Credit Union. "This is a way to engage people in two important endeavours: One is DUCA's practice of 'Fair Trade Banking' whereby we prioritize supporting people and communities worldwide and the other is the CCFC's important work of improving families and communities through innovative and sustainable solutions."

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About DUCA:
DUCA was formed in 1954 and has grown from a single branch credit union in Toronto to 15 branches across Southern Ontario with nearly 50,000 Members. DUCA Financial Services Credit Union Ltd. (DUCA) provides innovative Co-Operative Banking as an attractive alternative to traditional banking institutions.  DUCA is for Canadians who want Fair Trade banking™ - simple, low-cost community banking for people who care about their world, their community, and making a difference. With high interest savings and low-cost loans, DUCA exists to help people do more, be more, and achieve more with their money and their lives. To find out how, visit; www.duca.com. 

About CCFC:
Christian Children's Fund of Canada (CCFC) is a child-focused international development organization and a member of ChildFund Alliance. For more than 50 years, CCFC has been helping children and families of all faiths move from poverty to self-reliance. CCFC supports children and communities in Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Ghana, India, Nicaragua and Paraguay. Currently, CCFC has more than 50,000 children sponsored, benefiting approximately 500,000 people around the world. 

About the Innovation Fund contest:
The Innovation Fund contest is an annual voting competition to select a project for implementation in a developing community. Since 2014, CCFC has received annual donations from DUCA to fund the contest. In its third year, the Innovation Fund contest will run from Dec.1 to 31, and the project with the highest number of votes will be selected for implementation.

1 Early Childhood Education Global Statistics Report, UNICEF, November 2014. http://www.data.unicef.org/ecd/early-childhood-education/

SOURCE Christian Children's Fund of Canada

For additional information, or to set up an interview, please contact: Bonar Bell, Communications Manager, CCFC | [email protected] (905) 754-1001, ext. 221; Keith Taylor, AVP, Strategic Social Impact, DUCA | [email protected] (416) 223-8838, ext. 292

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Christian Children's Fund of Canada