At the end of each year, we ask co-op and mutual leaders from around the world to reflect on their organisation and sector – and this year, on the UN International Year of Cooperatives theme: Co-ops Build a Better World. Read the December 2024 Q&As here.
How do co-ops build a better world?
In Africa, co-operatives have been regarded as the enablers to and agitator for socio-economic development and contributors to environmental sustainability. The co-operative movement has survived the market forces and continued to grow in number and membership cutting through the sectors of agriculture, finance and banking, insurance, housing, marketing, health etc.
Co-operatives build a better world by empowering communities, fostering equity and equality and contributing to sustainable development for all. By pooling resources, members share risks, improve access to credit, and benefit collectively from profits.
Agricultural co-operatives, for instance, enhance productivity and market access, enabling small-scale farmers to negotiate better prices as witnessed in most African countries. Similarly, co-operatives have been at the forefront in mobilising savings and investments through provision of affordable loans. It has resulted in huge impact in financial deepening among members in countries.
As asserted by the prime cabinet secretary for Kenya, Hon. Musalia Mudavadi, “… the co-operative movement is perhaps the first choice of preference when it comes to savings,…co-operatives provide easy direct and convenient access to anyone looking to save money, thus making the movement a huge player in galvanising savings across Africa.”
Co-operatives also drive gender equality by promoting women’s participation in co-operative activities, encouraging women and youth to take up leadership positions. In this way, co-operatives transcend market forces to create long-term social, economic, and environmental benefits.
What should the International Year of Cooperatives achieve – and how is your organisation working towards that?
We look forward to facilitating activities that promote equal participation in achieving the objectives of this second International Year of Cooperatives. This will be achieved through:
• Increased visibility within the Africa continent and public awareness of the co-operative movement and its contribution to sustainable development, with a keen focus on women and youth in co-operatives and fostered conducive environments for co-ops to thrive. The success stories of co-operative movement in Africa will be documented and shared on ICA Africa website and social media, and a podcast and blog will be published on ICA Africa website. The ICA members will be mobilised to share their planned activities for IYC on the website/ social media and they will be encouraged to share the activities in the ICA monthly newsletter. ICA Africa will organise joint activities with its members to promote the awareness of IYC.
• Promote, agitate and support the growth of co-operatives through the lined-up activities on capacity development, knowledge sharing, and partnerships as well as the establishment of new co-operatives in emerging sectors.
• Foster co-operation among co-operatives on this IYC, through activities with its members and/or other apex organisations in the region to celebrate the International Year of Cooperatives.
