Members Highlights 2016

AMPCM - Mozambican Association for the Promotion of Modern Cooperatives

Introduction

AMPCM is an entity founded in 2010 and acts in the following business areas: credit, health, animal husbandry, production services, recycling, consultation and housing.

AMPCM Activities on the 5 Pillars of Cooperatives

Participation

AMPCM held an AGM on April 16^th, 2016 where new governing bodies such as Board of the General Assembly and Board of Directors were elected.

Communication

The AMPCM X General Assembly interviews and articles were published in four newspapers

Cooperative Finance

AMPCM has through its member cooperatives such as Credit Cooperative Women Nampula (CCMN), Cooperative Rising Sun (Sun Living), Cooperative Credit Women Nacala and Solidarity Savings Cooperative developed business initiatives to facilitate credit services, savings and banking services to its members. It also aims in promoting the construction and acquisition of properties for its members at lower prices compared to the market rate.

Sustainability

Actions in progress

Legal and Policy Framework

AMPCM held meetings with the Prime Minister and Ministry of Justice concerning the Approval of Cooperative Regulation that had been pending since 2012. They also prepared the third draft of the law on the Tax System for cooperatives.

Federation des Cooperatives Maraicheres du Niger (FCMN-Niya)

Participation

Each of the 75 Unions of Cooperatives pay annual contribution for the general functioning of the organization. Also, various technical committees have been set up to encourage members’ participation which includes: Resource mobilization committee whose main role is to improve financial capacity of FCMN; Watch Committee whose role is to improve internal and external communication; and Committee on the cooperative societies whose role is to improve technical and financial management.

Sustainability

FCMN and cooperative society have highly engaged in the development of economic activities both at national and unions of cooperatives levels. They have come up with the following income generating activities:

Buying potato seeds from international firms and selling them to the members
Production and commercialization of onion and onion seeds
Production and commercialization of sesame

Cooperative Finance

Most of funds to finance cooperative activities are mainly from donors. A survey conducted by FCMN and the cooperatives societies showed that though subsidies are still relevant in some areas and to some farmers, their inadequacy in time and amount are judged sustainable-wise as irrelevant. Therefore, FCMN will focus for the next five years on the development of economic activities in the union of cooperatives.

Policy and Legal Framework

FCMN has embraced the initiative of the African states that abides by Niger government to revise the law on cooperative to comply with the OHADA directives on cooperative societies.

UNILAK

University of Lay Adventist of Kigali (UNILAK) in Rwanda has been imparting quality education to its students since 1997.

UNILAK held a High Level Meeting on Examining Success Factors for Sustainable Rural Development through the Integrated Co-operative Model (CCA/IDRC funded project) on 11^thto 17^th February 2016. The meeting gathered researchers from SASKATCHEWAN University (Canada), Makerere University (Uganda), Moshi Cooperatives University (Tanzania) and UNILAK (Rwanda). The meeting intended to present the new knowledge and assess the impact of the model as well as identifying the key elements of an enabling environment that would allow the model to achieve its full potential in rural development. The meeting also depicted the development of the cooperative businesses involved.

The research findings discussed in the meeting were carried out between March 2013 to March 2016 in Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Canada. It was found that structures for the integrated co-operative model existed in all the survey countries. However, they found there was a need for policy and strategy of transformation from traditional co-operative societies to entrepreneurial co-operatives. Secondly, countries needed strategic administrative models with strategic exit plans. Thirdly, youth participation in agricultural marketing co-operatives was found to be critical in generation of new ideas and innovative cooperative practices. Lastly, they found there was a need to improve private sector relations with the co-operative movement in all round strategy for promoting interaction between investor owned firms and co-operative enterprises.

Swaziland Co-operative Department (DoC)

Participation

We are engaged in a process to create awareness for all cooperatives to have youth representation in their committees and to increase membership. As result a number of cooperatives are undertaking membership growth programs to increase their members. i.e in some cooperatives they have set aside a reward for members who recruit new members.

Communication

Governance workshops were held and cooperatives were encouraged to audit every year and hold AGMS and elections in time where needed. Most cooperatives follow that elections are held every two years.

Sustainability

Through the assistance of Micro Finance Unit the department was able to carry out workshops to promote value chain development to agricultural cooperatives. Turns around strategies were developed to improve agricultural cooperatives in the following sectors: dairy production, fruits tree production, horticulture and processing of produce.

Cooperative Finance

A fund has been sourced to establish a revolving fund which will help in capitalization of cooperatives especially the agricultural.

Policy and Legal Framework

From April 2016 we started a process to review our Cooperative Policy and Act 2003. Though funding by RIISP both documents have been reviewed. Consultants were hired, stakeholder meetings were conducted and drafting and validation of the documents are through. The final documents were submitted to Public Policy Coordinating Unit for evaluation and finalization.

AWACH Saving and Credit Cooperarive

Introduction

AWACH saving and credit cooperarive was established by forty one (41) volunteer members in 2007. The founding members were 33 female and 8 male. It was registered as a saving and credit cooperative by the Addis Ababa city government cooperative promotion and regulatory office under proclamation number 147/98. But since September 20/2016, AWACH SACCOS is registered by the Federal Cooperative Agency of the federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia. AWACH’S activities of the year of 2016 are reviewed by the pillars of the alliance Africa as follows:

Participation

According to the five years strategic plan of AWACH SACCOS LTD, expanding outreach service and increasing membership size is one of its goals. So by the year 2016, 1682 new members have joined AWACH SACCOS LTD. Out of the 1682 new members, 1039 of them are male and 643 of them are female. The total members of AWACH SACCOOS LTD until December 2016 are 4134 (2481 male and 1653 female)

Communication

In 2016, AWACH SACCOS LTD has contributed its share in building the image of cooperatives in Ethiopia by sharing its experiences in different forums, exhibitions and workshops. Its contribution has made AWACH SACCOS LTD to be referred as a model and “center of excellence” by the federal government of Ethiopia. Moreover, Awach is preparing to celebrate its 10^th year anniversary by mid-2017 and we will be able to promote Awach better.

Sustainability

Today cooperatives in Ethiopia are referred as “poverty eradicating tools”. They are supporting the government and the society in solving different economic, social, environmental problems. The current government of Ethiopia has given due emphasis to the development of the sector so, the number of cooperatives is increasing in an increasing rate. According to the Federal Cooperative Agency June 2016 report, there are 18,959 primary cooperatives in Ethiopia having 3,430,655 members.

As mentioned earlier, AWACH SACCOS LTD is contributing its share to bring sustainability in the country. Members have developed confidence in their cooperative that they can solve or minimize their economic and social problems through their cooperatives. So far, more than 1600 members of AWACH SACCOS LTD have taken loan for housing, education, health, start own business and expansion of existing business. Since 2008 up to December 2016 AWACH SACCOS LTD has given 82,764,144 Ethiopian birr or 3,607,852.8 USD to its members.

AWACH SACCOS LTD is expanding its service to different part of the society so that societies could have access to saving and credit service and eradicate their social and economic problems. More over through its social service budget, Awach is supporting the community in need. For instance Awach has supported three local NGOs known as Matheos Wendu Cancer society, Rahey letiweld Children support center and Arat Killo Child and mother care center.

Cooperative finance

AWACH SACCOOS LTD has a total number of 4134 members. Awach capital is dependent on the members saving and their share. Currently Awach has a total saving of 38,863,304.6 Ethiopian Birr which is 1,694,128.4 USD. And total share of members is 6,518,373.33 Ethiopian birr which is 284,148.8 USD. And the total asset of Awach is 48,630,301.06 Ethiopian birr which is 2,119,891.06 USD.

Policy and legal framework

The cooperative movement in Ethiopia is accelerating rapidly, cooperatives and members are increasing. The support of the government to the sector is also increasing and cooperatives today are a government agenda in Ethiopia. The government has come up with better policies, proclamations and workable legal frameworks. The government repealed the previous proclamation (proclamation No. 147/1998) and replaced it with the new proclamation No.985/2016.

Currently, in addition to the strategic plan of AWACH SACCOS LTD and the current cooperative society’s proclamation No. 985/2016, AWACH SACCOOS is using: