Sustainable Livelihoods Through Co-operatives

Results achieved as of March 2015 include: (1) partners cooperatives provided timely relevant and gender-sensitive programs and services to 4.1 million co-op members (3 2 million women); (2) 3.2 million women and 1 million men are conducting business through their cooperatives (savings loans bulk produce or insurance); (3) 326 cooperatives have improved their financial management; (4) the cooperative sector influenced government decision-makers and co-op interventions resulted in 32 changes being made to government policy initiatives or programs. These changes vary from a new law on agricultural cooperatives being drafted to the development of a national Deposit Guarantee Scheme; (5) over 44 000 women and 44 000 men increased their social and economic empowerment and are applying the skills and knowledge they acquired in the project; and (6) 67 million dollars were acquired in volume of sales or businesses carried out through partners' agricultural and worker cooperatives. These results have contributed to sustainable gender equitable social and economic growth for women and men in the targeted communities.