The way forward to advancing cooperatives in Africa: Interviews with African cooperative leaders
In September 2016, three cooperative leaders from the United Republic of Tanzania and Niger participated in a study tour to Japan to get exposed to lessons learned from Japanese cooperative enterprises and share cooperative experiences between the countries.
Organised jointly with the Japanese Consumers' Co-operative Union (JCCU) since 2010, this programme has benefited 30 cooperative leaders and practitioners from nine African countries (Ethiopia, Kenya, Lesotho, Niger, Rwanda, South Africa, United Republic of Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe). In this article, this year’s participants share their views on the relevance of the programme, and how it will benefit their organization and national cooperative movement.
I was very interested in exploring specific financial products developed by cooperative banks and institutions, and issues related to storage facilities for commodities. I was also eager to identify potential interests from Japanese investors in Tanzania. Through the programme, I had the impression that cooperatives in Japan have a “human face”. They care about their members, especially the elderly. Projects such as the after school care centres and the hospital run by cooperatives were very interesting for me. During the tour, I had an opportunity to see the whole supply chain from farms to supermarkets. The way agricultural cooperative banks and labour banks run as cooperatives work, and the different financing schemes provided by cooperatives were new areas to me. These are very relevant to the work of my cooperative. If we are to move forward fast, we need to put into use these important attributes.
Through this programme, I had the impression that success in cooperatives is grounded in individual and collective commitment, leadership and good governance, quality of services to members, hard work, team work, involvement of individual members, solidarity towards members and the community, and respect of cooperative principles. Respect for those values gave significant results in areas such as banking, insurance, business services, and social services. With respect to the quality of services provided, training of staff is found to be critical.
What were your expectations for the study tour and how were they met during the programme? What were the main findings from the study tour that are relevant to your organization and/or the cooperative movement in your country?
I was looking forward to seeing dairy cooperatives in Japan to understand how they are managed and run. I really enjoyed our visit to an agricultural cooperative dealing with livestock. Our discussion with members helped identify potential solutions for dairy farming related problems faced by our Union in Tanzania. The most relevant lesson learned from the study tour for me was that cooperative enterprises are not for poor people but for the people who take advantage of their mutual efforts and capital to establish a strong business enterprise. In business, loyalty and transparency are keys to success. It convinced me that dedication and hard work even in difficult situations can bring better results.I was very interested in exploring specific financial products developed by cooperative banks and institutions, and issues related to storage facilities for commodities. I was also eager to identify potential interests from Japanese investors in Tanzania. Through the programme, I had the impression that cooperatives in Japan have a “human face”. They care about their members, especially the elderly. Projects such as the after school care centres and the hospital run by cooperatives were very interesting for me. During the tour, I had an opportunity to see the whole supply chain from farms to supermarkets. The way agricultural cooperative banks and labour banks run as cooperatives work, and the different financing schemes provided by cooperatives were new areas to me. These are very relevant to the work of my cooperative. If we are to move forward fast, we need to put into use these important attributes.
Through this programme, I had the impression that success in cooperatives is grounded in individual and collective commitment, leadership and good governance, quality of services to members, hard work, team work, involvement of individual members, solidarity towards members and the community, and respect of cooperative principles. Respect for those values gave significant results in areas such as banking, insurance, business services, and social services. With respect to the quality of services provided, training of staff is found to be critical.