News - CDF - Co-operative Development Foundation of Canada

Our approach towards Gender Equality

15 September 2023

At CDF Canada we support women and girls in strengthening their leadership skills and building their own agency. As we partner with community-owned co-operatives, our gender mainstreaming process begins by analyzing gendered issues of access and control, consulting with local stakeholders and developing strategies to overcome the barriers of women’s access to financial services, capacity for income generation, and control over decision-making.

Gender Model Family – Training of Trainers

13 September 2023

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.

Gender Model Family training in Arerti, Ethiopia

12 September 2023

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.

Embracing change: Caesar’s journey with small technology

30 August 2023

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.

Transformation with climate-smart sustainable agriculture

29 August 2023

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.

2023 CDF Canada Impact Report

25 August 2023

The strength of the Co-operative Development Foundation of Canada is grounded in our mission - Acting on co-operative principles, we partner with communities to achieve sustainable economic and social development. This is at the heart of all strategic activities we undertake. Since 1947, CDF Canada became the focus for Canadian efforts to foster self-reliant, member-owned co-operatives in many corners of the world.

Row by row: A tale of a farming revolution in Kotoya

21 August 2023

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.

Volunteer experience transforms executive’s life

18 August 2023

“There is something about Africa that never leaves your heart.” For Karen McBride, her words reflect her love for the continent and her commitment to volunteerism. Over the last decade, she has committed herself to improving the lives of others through volunteering.

Volunteering in Zomba – providing strategic planning training

17 August 2023

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.

Stories

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