Supported by Agriterra's Acting Now Project in Kajiado County, Kenya
Written by Esther Kalanza, Cooperative Advisor - Acting Now, Kenya
In the arid and semi-arid lands (ASAL) of Kajiado County, Kenya, a group of Maasai women are defying the odds of climate change and poverty by running a successful dairy cooperative that provides them with income, food, and empowerment. The Maasai Kajiado Women Cooperative, established in 2010, has grown to over 3,400 members who deliver their milk to the cooperative. Kajiado County was harshly hit by the drought in 2022-2023, with most pastoralist farmers losing up to 70% of their livestock. Agriterra came across the cooperative in 2023 when the catchment was full of carcasses of dead animals.
Jeroen Kruft, former owner of a company focused on product development in developing countries, is regularly enlisted by Agriterra to provide advice to cooperatives in, for example, Peru, Congo and Tanzania. In September last year, he shared his experiences and insights in marketing with cocoa cooperative Ecakoog in Ivory Coast. "I examined their customer base, their finances and the quality of the cocoa. We visited some plantations, discussed certification, and looked at a marketing strategy."
Read moreRosemary Twinamatsiko (51 years old) lives in Kashongi, Uganda. She resides with her husband, two sons and two daughters. She is a cattle breeder with 30 Friesian bulls and 60 goats.Next to that, she manages a one-acre coffee plantation. Rosemary has been a female leader for 15 years, facilitating the mobilisation of more women at the cooperative where she works.
Read moreBorn into a modest and impoverished family, Fiona’s journey is a demonstration of what is possible with hard work, dedication, and the pursuit of dreams.
Read moreAgriterra is delighted to announce our recent rejoining of AgriCord. AgriCord is a network of agri-agencies that work with member based organisations globally. The alliance aims to promote and help build other farmer organisations and cooperatives through peer-to-peer exchange and help organise farmers in an effective, efficient, inclusive and democratic manner to spur their development. The alliance is made up of 13 member organisations, including Agriterra, and members range from countries across Europe as well as Senegal, Canada, the Philippines and Brazil.
Read moreWritten by Dawit Hailegiorgis, Cooperative advisor Ethiopia
Keberta Tigle Frie Women Multipurpose Primary Cooperative is a women-led cooperative well known for widely producing coffee, honey and spices. Moreover, the cooperative engages in input supply and providing prefinancing services to its members.
In the heart of the Beni district in DR Congo lies the village of Mangina, where Leonie Kahasa, a 48-year-old rice farmer, lives. As a dedicated member of COOMUSERIZ, Leonie’s story reflects the positive impact of agricultural support and partnerships on her life and the community.
Read moreWritten by Mikidadi Waziri, Cooperative advisor Tanzania
Kinole SACCOS in Tanzania was established in 2001, with the support of Sokoine University of Agriculture. Since its establishment, Kinole SACCOS has been known as the financial institution you can trust. This year (2024), Kinole SACCOS is celebrating its 23rd anniversary.
Sign up for our newsletter!