REFLECTING ON THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF EGBE ONISIN ELEDUMARE TO THE ORISA LANDSCAPE IN REPUBLIC TRINIDAD & TOBAGO

Greetings! When this gregorian calendar year was opened , the Administrators of this site agreed to present to you what we believe were some of the significant  contributions we have made to the Orisa devotees landscape locally and internationally.

Today we wish to speak about a still fledgling institution that we have been wrestling with and hoping to make a success in our international and local Orisa devotees landscape.

When there was the re – birthing of EGBE ONISIN ELEDUMARE as it incarnated in 1971 as a component of a worldwide social revolution that had as it’s ideals equality among the various races of human beings ; the founding members of EGBE ONISIN ELEDUMARE, sought not only spiritual and theological liberation from the imprisoning prevalent spiritual and theological ideologies in Ile – Iere , Republic Trinidad & Tobago but also envisioned the economic emancipation of it’s devotees and followings.

The membership was moved by the concepts of African communalism, African Socialism, Ujaama , Esusu and other collective/ cooperative African economic systems.

Members then attempted cooperative enterprises outside the legal framework of registration and attempted animal farm production  , in which poultry was acquired and distributed among the membership and sold to one of the members who ran a poultry outlet.

These early beginnings eventually led to the formation of an Esusu and compulsory saving plan where participants utilised current principles of Esusu management and via this means encourage compulsory savings. After much consideration re: legal standing and recognition in civil society an zttempt and move was made by the membership to formalise our savings efforts into a Multi Purpose Cooperative Society.Unfortunately the Cooperative Authorities in their estimation suggested that we did not meet with all  of the criteria to become a Multi Purpose Cooperative Society and thus a compromise position was arrived at that resulted in the registration of a Credit Union Society, that has been moving slowly and with much struggle to make it’s presence known and felt in the local orisa community.

Among the weaknesses and challenges of this fledgling Credit Union is the lack of technically component personnell to make this effort as effective as it should be. The founders of the Credit Union envisioned the correcting of the economic imbalances that prevailed in Trinidad & Tobago society as it impacted upon Orisa devotees in the twin island Republic  Trinidad & Tobago .

Over the last few years with the emphasis on survival of the fittest , many persons and no longer as easily attracted to collective solutions to problems. However the Administrators of the Credit Union remain committed to the ideals. It is the intention of this article to once again stimulate interest and participation in this effort at economic liberation. It certainly is not being presented as the only solution. but we do subscribe to collective security for surety.

We  pray that in a year when there is world wide focus on the descendants of Africans whose current social positions has been as  a direct result of the negative impact on our race  as a consequence of the Trans Atlantic Slave Trade and the  attending racist and discriminatory practices that still linger in our society that support for our efforts will be forthcoming.

May all devotees that read this article show your interest in supporting this effort.

Kindly leave your contact information with an indication of your interest in participating in making this a tremendous success.