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Report: Cooperative Performance Index – Field Results and Analysis

Published 04/08/2013 by Global Communities

Report: Cooperative Performance Index – Field Results and Analysis of Cooperatives in Rwanda

USAID – Enabling Market Integration through Rural Group Empowerment (EMIRGE)

By Theogene Nkuranga, EMIRGE Program Coordinator, Rwanda and
Kristin Wilcox, EMIRGE Technical Officer

January 2013
Introduction
Cooperatives are democratic, member-run and member-financed enterprises. They have beenĀ a model for bringing together people across all spheres of society in common economic andĀ social interests. In Rwanda, cooperatives comprise nearly 2.5 million members grouped intoĀ approximately 5,000 active cooperative entities. These cooperatives are regulated by RwandaĀ law nĀ° 50/2007 of 18/09/2007 determining the establishment, organization and functioning ofĀ cooperative organizations.
Most commonly found in Rwanda in the agricultural sector, cooperatives are providing significantĀ results in the production of tea, coffee, rice, maize, Irish potatoes, vegetables, fruits, milk, meatĀ and fish but also seeing gains in other sectors such as finance S ACCOs (savings and creditĀ cooperatives), mining and transportation (motorcycles and minibuses) as well. Since 2010, CHFĀ International Rwanda has been working with producer groups and associations of People LivingĀ with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) and families living with Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC) assistingĀ these groups to become formal cooperatives and building capacity in the areas of governance,Ā management and business development in order to increase household incomes and strengthenĀ overall family resiliency.
To track performance among those cooperatives the USAID Enabling Market Integration throughĀ Rural Group Empowerment (EMIRGE) program, in partnership with the USAID/Higa UbehoĀ Economic Strengthening team, developed a tool called the Cooperative Performance Index (CPI)Ā and supported the assessment of each of the eighty five cooperatives in the USAID/Higa UbehoĀ program and the EMIRGE program portfolios.
Read the full report here.