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Cooperative Development Program Success Stories
- Homeless in Afghanistan
- Coffee Farmers in Ethiopia
- Malian Livestock Producers
- Cooperative Insurance Companies in Latin
America and the Caribbean
- Remittances in El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras
1. Homeless in Afghanistan
After hostilities ended in Afghanistan, Cooperative Housing Foundation
(CHF) rapidly intervened to prevent winter weather from harming Afghan
families struggling to live in and around Kabul. The Project exceeded
its goals and directly benefited 99,060 individuals and 16,428 vulnerable
beneficiary families to improve their emergency shelter needs.
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| A family enjoys their renovated home
and new stove in the Bamiyan Province. |
The city's most vulnerable families were those returning to Kabul--renting
one room accommodations or simply squatting within the city. These families
were assisted with stoves, coal, quilts, blankets, winter clothing, and
heavy-duty plastic sheeting to block the wind and snow and keep the heat
in the dwelling.
Winter weatherization -- doors, windows, roof poles, ceiling boards,
timber for latrines, and other construction materials -- was provided
to poor home owners within the greater Kabul area.
By spreading weatherization and shelter resources to four districts of
the Shamali Plain -- where Taliban scorched earth policies had destroyed
homes -- CHF International helped stem and reverse the trend of migration
of vulnerable families from the outlying districts to Kabul City center.
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2. Coffee Farmers in Ethiopia
The Oromia Coffee Farmers' Cooperative Union, launched
in June 1999, received Government of Ethiopia permission to
become a direct exporter of its members' coffee, bypassing
the central auction and giving more control and market share
to the producer.
The union, representing 21,891 coffee growers, exported
144 tons of coffee last year with ACDI-VOCA assistance
and is now developing partnerships with key players in the
specialty and gourmet coffee markets. For ACDI/VOCA's senior
staff member, Werqu, the capping experience of his lifetime
of work in Ethiopian agriculture is "to see, for the
first time in Ethiopia, the direct export of smallholder-grown
specialty coffee to Europe and America without exploitation
by coffee merchants." |
3. Malian Livestock Producers
When Malian livestock producers attempted to export cattle
from Mali to nearby markets in bordering countries, they were
forced to pay high illegal "taxes" or bribes to
officials and middlemen at the border and along shipping routes.
With National Cooperative Business Association's (NCBA) assistance, several livestock cooperatives
representing 7,000 farm families joined together in the formation
of a cross-border marketing cooperative, the Société
de Gestion du Marché Frontalier (SOGEMAF). The
cooperative successfully petitioned the government to address
the problems and provide security for the export transactions.
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| Mali Cattle Marketing
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As a result of this cooperative advocacy and rapid growth,
the cooperatives have exported a total of 125,000 head of
cattle to markets in Ghana, Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire
and Guinea over the last four years. In 2001, the exports
by the cooperatives amounted to 71 percent of the country's
total livestock exports. |
4. Cooperative Insurance Companies in Latin America and the Caribbean
In much of Latin America and the Caribbean, few businesses
and fewer families are protected by insurance. Inspired and
promoted by credit unions and cooperatives, a number of cooperative
insurance companies have been formed. These have joined an
association, the Americas Association of Cooperative
and Mutual Insurance Societies, that now has 41 members
in the Western Hemisphere. AAC/MIS receives small grants from
USAID and other donors and has played a major role in strengthening
its newer members by providing technical assistance and training
opportunities. The Association and its members have worked
to support development of cooperative and mutual insurance
in more than 20 countries and have played a leading role in
expansion of eight insurers.
AAC/MIS is now working with boards and senior management of cooperative insurance
companies to promote significant expansion in coverage, extending both the range
of insurance products available and developing health, life, and property insurance
that meets the needs and capacities of poor families and microenterprise.
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5. Remittances in El Salvador, Guatemala and
Honduras
Recognizing the importance of remittances to the economies
of many developing economies, World Council of Credit Unions,
Inc. (WOCCU), in alliance with Vigo Remittance Corporation,
has developed a program that moves remittances from U.S. to
partner credit unions. The program was initiated in El Salvador,
Guatemala and Honduras where WOCCU's institution building
efforts had helped create the required credit union capacities.
Beginning in 2001 with 5,500 transactions valued at $2.3
million, the second year of the program saw exponential growth
with transactions reaching close to 112,000 and dollar values
reaching $44.4 million. Results during the first quarter of
2003 project another doubling of transactions and value. The
remittances have helped produce growth in participating credit
union savings while reducing aggregate transaction costs to
sender and receiver by more than $2 million to date.
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| Adoflo Franco of USAID
shaking hands. Rep. David Price, United States House of
Representatives, is seated at the table. |
In alliance with the U.S. Treasury, Caja Popular Mexicana,
and the Credit Union Leagues of Texas and California, WOCCU
has begun a program to leverage remittances - estimated at
$9.8 billion during 2002 - by promoting credit union savings
and investment.
Families receiving remittances will have access to financial
services including savings, loans, and mortgages. The Texas
and California leagues will offer internships as part of a
program to strengthen the skills of Caja Popular Mexicana
officers and staff. |
Contact Person:
Tom Carter, Technical Advisor, Cooperative Development Program,
Office of Private Voluntary Cooperation - American Schools & Hospitals Abroad (PVC-ASHA), Bureau for Democracy, Conflict and Humanitarian Assistance, USAID
E-Mail: thcarter@usaid.gov
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