She explained that since credit unions boost the living conditions of their members, more people would go to Church if they knew that their standard of living would be enhanced.

She expressed regret that the Catholic Church, which introduced the Credit Union Concept into the country some 50 years ago, did not find it expedient to extend it to its branches as a way of helping the members to come out of poverty.

The District Director of Education gave the advice at a forum organised jointly by the Apam Workers Credit Union and the Gomoa District Teachers Credit Unions at Apam, to mark the Golden Jubilee of the Credit Unions Association in Ghana.

Mrs Quarcoo urged Churches to take initiative to enhance the well being of their members since they depend on individual donations and collections from their members for their programmes.

"If the members are well to do the Churches financial stand will be high", she stressed. Mrs Rose Ernestina Newman, a retired educationist and Chairperson of Gomoa Ajumako Rural Bank, said the best method of getting out of poverty is savings.

She explained that after saving, one is compelled to manage it judiciously. She cautioned workers against collecting loans to pay debts, which rather compounded their problems and advised them to cut down on their "unnecessary" expenditures.

Mr Kow Anyanful, District Director of Education for Enchil, who chaired the function, expressed concern about the life-style of some teachers who took loans indiscriminately. Mr Anyanful advised heads of schools to convince their teachers to join credit unions to avoid "washing their dirty linen in public".

He cautioned them against excessive drinking and advised them to use their free time to generate income to supplement their salaries.

He commended the executives of the two associations for "doing a good job". The Apam Workers Credit Union, formed in 1994 has 300 members, while the Gomoa District Teachers Credit Union formed in 1995 has 1,520 members with assets of 3.6 billion cedis.