Did you know?
The birthplace of cooperative movement
In 1844, during Industrial Revolution, there was inadequate housing, high prices of food , and poor working conditions for workers in the town of Rochdale, in UK. To tackle these problems, 28 artisans working in cotton mills established the Rochdale Equitable Pioneers Society, this became the first modern cooperative. They started selling essential items and established the basic rules, which eventually became cooperative principles as we know today.
Cooperative movement in Zimbabwe
In Zimbabwe the cooperative movement started in 1982 when 22 retired veterans of Zimbabwe’s war of liberation, bought a collective cooperative farm. These members, using this experience, then went on to form their own cooperatives. The movement grew from district level to province and finally reached the national level. Members and small cooperatives come together to give their voice to government and help support each other.
