USAID’s Cooperative Development Program to boost I6 Co-op’s growth
Sixteen co-operatives in Kenya are set to benefit from USAID’s Co-operative Development Program (CDP), which is awarded through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and NCBA CLUSA’s Co-operative Ecosystem and Social Inclusion (CESI) project.
The CDP and CESI projects aim to strengthen the capacity of co-operatives and create enabling environments for co-operative and project learning applied in the development community. They are being implemented in Kenya, Guatemala, and Peru, running up to the year 2028 and in Madagascar up to 2025.
In Kenya, the CDP/CESI project focuses on the ecosystem level, working to strengthen five secondary, or union, co-operatives in Meru and Nandi counties and 11 primary dairy and coffee co-operatives that are members of these unions. The program targets 16 co-operatives that have 155,176 members. By the end of five years, their memberships are expected to grow to more than 174,000 members, with 40% and 20% participation of women and youth, respectively, in these co-operatives’ governance bodies.
CESI’s technical assistance (TA) will focus on effectively engaging women and youth, product diversification, and other income-generating activities supporting environmental sustainability (e.g., agri-shops targeting women, biogas installation). Coaching will also cover foundational areas of business performance, including governance, finance, management, and member engagement. In year three of implementation, TA will shift to local co-op support organizations, including County Co-operative Officers and higher-tier co-ops, of which primary co-ops are members.
The CESI project will also focus on improving the co-operative enabling environment. One pivotal initiative is expanding the impactful Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) initiative within Meru and Nandi counties. NCBA CLUSA will also introduce ADR on the national level through learning exchanges with other counties expressing interest. CESI will also prioritize facilitating access to finance. This involves steadfast support of Capital SACCO’s thriving CASA DADA program, which fosters financial literacy and lending opportunities for women.
Additionally, CESI plans to create innovative products and programs tailored to the youth demographic, such as mobile banking solutions. Collaborative efforts with Kenya’s Co-operative Bank are underway to cater to co-ops’ financing requirements, leveraging the existing relationships many co-ops in Meru and Nandi have with the bank and potentially expanding this partnership at an ecosystem level. Moreover, CESI is poised to provide support to SDC and CAK in their endeavors to advocate for the Co-operative Bill’s passage into law and help develop associated regulations.
An essential learning activity in Kenya will involve collaborating with other CDP implementers (Global Communities, World Council of Credit Unions, and HealthPartners) and local co-op partners through the KCDO platform. In one of 10 planned collaborations, CESI will partner with KSPC to expand the Co-op Business School to Kenya, increasing access to existing certifications and creating new trainings that respond to Kenyan co-ops’ needs, focusing on ecosystems and social inclusion. CESI will also facilitate the uptake of CDP-developed tools by 26 local organizations, including the adoption of NCBA CLUSA’s Diagnostic and Monitoring of Organizations’ Capacity by KSPC and county governments; our Women’s Inclusion, Empowerment, and Leadership in Co-operatives (WIELCOOP); and a similar tool for youth inclusion by Meru and Nandi Dairy Unions, the Co-operative Bank, and Capital SACCO, reaching nearly 20,000 people.
AT A GLANCE
In Kenya’s Meru and Nandi Counties, CESI will strengthen
16 CO-OPS WITH 155,176 MEMBERS
Diversify co-op products and member services
TARGETING WOMEN AND YOUTH
Facilitate amendment of cooperative by-laws,
BENEFITING 14,000 CO-OPS
Support drafting of new co-op laws to ensure
INCLUSION OF WOMEN AND YOUTH
Enhance the advocacy and educational work of
20 CO-OP SUPPORT ORGANIZATIONS
Promote uptake of CDP-developed tools by
26 LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS
