Many African co-operatives are facing challenges such as inhibitive laws, inadequate laws, political interference, indifferent membership, mismanagement and limited use of technology. To address these gaps, a draft model law has been developed, and the Co-operative Development Foundation of Canada (CDF Canada) has been actively participating in these discussions.
Gender Model Family Training is provided through the 4R Nutrient Stewardship Project. For one family, the training changed their attitudes towards gender roles and relationships, allowing them to better support and care for each other.
The Gender Model Family and the Rural Commercial Women's Group helped Debritu Terefe access the knowledge and the financial services to expand her existing businesses.
Gender Model Family is an approach to enhance gender equality in co-operatives and their families. The VOICE for Women and Girls program, supported by Global Affairs Canada, is currently in year four-of-a-seven-year commitment. In total, CDF Canada and its Malawi partner, the Malawi Federation of Cooperatives, reached over 75 co-operative members.
Volunteers from the VOICE for Women and Girls Program provide gender training and learn from participants. The Gender Model Family promotes inclusivity to create a more equitable society and create a safe and empowering space for participants to explore and discuss gender-related issues.
The 4R Nutrient Stewardship project provided 243 small, practical tools to farmers. These included planters that helped with planting in neat rows and dibbling fertilizer evenly, solar knapsack sprayers that simplified spraying, and tarpaulins that protected grains from debris.
The 4R Nutrient Stewardship project introduced to smallholder farmers practices that hold the power to revolutionize yields. The project, now in its fifth year, embarked on a journey of change across 130 communities in the Northern and Savannah regions of Ghana.
Resilient widow and mother of seven, Pobidan Naamo, is a member of the 4R co-operative and she witnessed the incredible advantages of 4R farming practices. Recently, she adopted them by planting her maize field in rows.
Volunteers have an important role in co-operative development through the VOICE for Women and Girls program. Barb Kuzyk is one of CDF Canada's volunteers who recently returned from Malawi, and she shares her experiences in how she assisted co-operatives with strategic planning.