Roskam connects with Oak Brook business in Ghana

Congressman Peter Roskam was 6,000 miles away from the 6th Congressional District this week, yet at home all the same.

Roskam, a Wheaton Republican and House chief deputy whip, spent the early part of this week in Ghana, leading a fact-finding mission focused on trade, energy and socioeconomic issues.

The trip was announced at its conclusion for security reasons, Roskam’s office noted.

Part of that mission included a meeting in the city of Accra with officials from Opportunity International, a nonprofit microfinance savings and loan company that is based in Oak Brook.

Opportunity International provides small business loans, financial services and training to more than 2 million people in 20 developing countries.

Company CEO Bill Morgenstern noted Roskam’s visit — privately sponsored by the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars — was a “key step in building greater awareness” of the company’s mission.

In a statement, Roskam applauded the company for its continued work.

“Microfinance services help provide steady incomes for families all over Ghana, empowering Ghanaians to create better lives,” he said.

Tuesday, Roskam also visited Cape Coast, the 20-year “sister city” of Hanover Park.

“It’s a relationship we are proud to say has had great benefits for both of us,” Mayor Rodney Craig said. “Over the years, we’ve sent truckloads of books to Cape Coast and have even established a school there named the Hanover Park Elementary School — a school whose students send letters back to our very own Hanover Highlands.”

Congressman Bobby Rush, a Chicago Democrat, also was on the trip.