CCA International Development Review 2013-2014

InternatIonal Development revIew | 2013 • 2014the face of development

2

COVER PHOTO: Having left school at an early age, Huluagerish Muche says the money she earns through her co-op apiary in Woreta, Ethiopia, will go towards her education. Each member has signed for the group loan they received from their credit union based on their business plan. CCA provided a revolving loan fund to help local credit unions kick start small businesses in this region that is so prone to drought and floods.

living our values. walking the talk.

...is a world where individuals and communities thrive economically, culturally, and socially.

our

vision ...is to establish and grow co-operatives, credit unions, and community-based organizations to reduce poverty, build sustainable livelihoods, and improve civil society in less developed countries.

We are committed to eliminating poverty's grip by helping people accomplish together what they cannot achieve alone - the means to move and stay out of poverty. CCA is a proud part of the international co-operative movement, a powerful global force of over one billion co-operative and credit union members creating lasting prosperity in their communities.

our

Mission Co-operatives around the world are guided by seven shared principles:

1 Voluntary and Open Membership

2 Democratic Member Control

3 Member Economic Participation

4 Autonomy and Independence

5 Education, Training and Information

6 Co-operation Among Co-operatives

7 Concern for Community

our

values

Inte

rnatio

nal D

eve

lop

me

nt R

evie

w 2

01

3-2

01

4

3

Our 2014 calendar pictured CCA’s development work as seen through the eyes of volunteers.

WelcoMe to the Face of Development, your annual window on the work of the Canadian Co-operative Association (CCA) to reduce global poverty through co-operative action.

Coming on the heels of the International Year of Co-operatives, a new organization called Co-operatives and Mutuals Canada (CMC) came into being on April 1, 2014 to represent co-operatives, credit unions and mutuals across Canada. CMC will help co-operatives form, develop and thrive, united as never before, speaking with a single voice. We at CCA are proud to strengthen our ties to Canada’s credit unions and co-operatives through Co-operatives and Mutuals Canada, our new and only member.

With its former mandate to promote, develop, and unite co-operatives in Canada now resting securely in the hands of CMC, the Canadian Co-operative Association will focus exclusively on reducing

global poverty through international co-operative development. The transition to this single mandate has engendered renewed commitment among our staff and volunteers to expand the reach and impact of our efforts to bring co-operative tools to communities in need around the globe.

At CCA, we believe that the poverty of one is the poverty of many. Canadian co-operators view themselves as an integral part of the global community, and share their knowledge and skills to help communities in less developed countries create their own co-operative enterprises that will reduce poverty and build prosperity. We are proud that they choose to do this through CCA.

the Year in review•This year CCA had $11.6 million in funding from

a wide range of supporters to establish and strengthen co-operatives and credit unions with partner organizations in Africa, Asia, South America, the Caribbean and Eastern Europe.

•CCA programs reached out to 2.8 million households in 19 developing countries this year.

The vision is clear.

We continue to learn and improve.The impact of our work is long lasting.

TOP PHOTO: Jo-anne Ferguson, Senior Development Director, Canadian Co-operative Association.

4

The

Fac

e o

f D

eve

lop

me

nt

tapping the power of Co-operative enterprise

In their fight against poverty, co-operative organizations in less developed countries are using their co-op enterprises to achieve better futures for their families and communities.

They are pooling resources and working together to provide needed goods and services, create jobs and opportunity, invest profits, reach out to vulnerable groups, train and educate members, establish gender equity, and steward the environment. They lower costs and improve yields and revenue, achieving economies of scale beyond the reach of those who produce in isolation.

We see families moving and staying out of poverty, households with improved health and nutrition and parents able to afford their children’s school fees and uniforms. We see families earning additional income through their small enterprises. Steady employment leads to stable family finances and the gradual building up of personal and family financial security. Early accomplishments build confidence

to set broader horizons for personal growth and development. Co-operative benefits remain in the community, enriching the lives of future generations.

Co-operatives form networks and apex co-operatives to bring members together for training and education, provide services to member co-ops and to influence government policy and regulation so that co-operatives may continue to thrive.

This year, our partners established more and strengthened existing co-operative enterprises. They improved the productive capacity, sales and income of farmers by encouraging financial, agricultural and marketing co-operatives to work together. They mobilized savings and issued needed credit. They influenced governments to create co-op friendly laws and regulations.

Co-operatives, like this micro insurance co-op in the Philippines, are private sector businesses balancing economic development with social concerns. They are a

training ground for democracy, built on principles of equity and fairness

This year, our partners established more and strengthened existing co-operative enterprises

2014

Inte

rnatio

nal D

eve

lop

me

nt R

evie

w 2

01

3-2

01

4

5

measuring Co-operative Impact

How do we know that the co-operatives we establish are turning the tide of poverty in their communities?

In 2012, the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development (DFATD), formerly the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), found through its groundbreaking study of co-operative development that co-operative enterprises

are effective in reducing poverty, especially in rural communities. It concluded that co-operatives increase family incomes, improve business opportunities and increase products and services available to members. Co-ops, they acknowledge, contribute to the generation of wealth that benefits members and the community at large.

This year, CCA conducted research to evaluate its work as part of a partnership program with

DFATD. The results show there are strong links between the development of co-operatives and strengthened communities, as well as positive effects on individuals. We also know that the value co-operatives bring to communities in need accrues both to our overseas partners and the communities they serve, and to those Canadians who each year share their knowledge, time and financial resources to further the reach of CCA’s international co-operative development in less developed countries.

Ultimately, the test of our effectiveness rests with the experiences of women and men who are working their way out of poverty. A special feature of CCA’s research gave voice to nearly 700 individuals involved in our projects. They told us CCA is walking the talk through its international development – practicing the principle of co-operation among co-operatives. They told us that the co-operatives we build are decisively a positive and transformative experience, that co-operatives are helping them to overcome poverty.

•Women’s co-operatives in Turkey are helping underemployed women enter the workplace. CCA and the Foundation for Women’s Social Work won a World Bank contract to research how these co-ops work, what makes them effective and how they can remain so effective in the long run.

•CCA returned to Ethiopia to work with the Federal Co-operative Agency and the Agricultural Transformation Agency to understand how commissioned-based marketing of second tier co-operatives can help producers.

•CCA launched a new blog through the popular U.S.-based e-publication The Huffington Post. The brainchild of CCA volunteer Deborah Chatterton, the blog is a forum for people to share development perspectives on co-operatives and co-operation. www.huffingtonpost.ca/canadian-cooperative-association

With Myanmar opening its economy, there are opportunities for tapping into that nation’s co-operative potential. CCA was engaged by the Livelihoods and Food Security Trust Fund (LIFT) to do the first ever study of co-operatives in Myanmar.

“My SACCO (credit union) is very good because I got a loan and this loan has benefited my family in many ways. At first I couldn't afford paying my children's school fees, but now I can.”– woman’s micro narrative, mid-term partnership program report

6

The

Fac

e o

f D

eve

lop

me

nt

phIlIppIneS Typhoons test co-operative resilience The micro-insurance co-operatives CCA works with in the Philippines managed to pay out 99% of claims they received by the end of December, just seven weeks after Typhoon Haiyan leveled communities in Leyte province last fall. Many other insurance companies were just starting their claims process in late January. This was the greatest test to date of the micro-insurance co-operatives’ resilience in the face of a string of disasters - including typhoons and earthquakes - that have struck this nation in recent years. That they were able to withstand this shock to their system speaks volumes to the years of steady development that went into this CCA-supported micro-insurance program.

Differently-abled worker co-op rebounds with plans for a housing co-op and new workshop A project is underway in Tacloban, Leyte province, with CCA and CDF working with our partner the National Federation of Co-operatives for Persons with Disability (NFCPWD) to purchase

land, construct houses for the co-op members, and build a new workshop. By using a housing co-operative model, the project aims to strengthen the co-operative governance of the new community and ensure its long term resilience.

Passion fruit farmers stay the course despite setback

Farmers could have packed it in after fierce month-long storms in South Sulawesi, Indonesia wiped out 80% of the passion fruit trees grown by CCA co-op partner LP3M. Instead, noting that those which survived enjoyed protection from nearby trees and shrubbery, farmers revised their methods, replanting new passion fruit trees along with protective vegetation to make them resilient to extreme weather events. Co-ops and credit unions were among those heavily

affected byTyphoon Haiyan last fall.

This December will mark the 10th anniversary of the tsunami that leveled credit unions and member's homes in Sri Lanka.

resilience in the Face of Disaster

Inte

rnatio

nal D

eve

lop

me

nt R

evie

w 2

01

3-2

01

4

7

GhanaCo-operatives fostering food security and economic growthFor a host of reasons, food crop producers are most vulnerable to food insecurity. The effects of heavy reliance on rain-fed agriculture, and lack of financing, processing, marketing and storage facilities are all magnified for farmers living in Northern Ghana.

Change is afoot in this poorest region of the country. Farmers are gradually discovering the nutritional benefits of adding soya bean to their traditional farm crops of yams and rice. They are using improved farm methods that preserve soil nutrients and produce larger yields with less water. They are pooling their product with other co-op farmers for on-selling to their marketing co-op

where it remains in a storage warehouse until post-harvest demand and prices increase. Loans to buy fertilizer, seed and supplies are available through their credit unions, where farmers are then able to open savings accounts and set money aside.

Once unable to grow or sell surplus crops, farmers are doing both through improved production and better access to marketing channels. Many are on the road to food self-sufficiency with ample farm and off-farm incomes to school their children and repair their homes. This dramatic transformation of fortune taking place in three districts reached by CCA’s integrated co-operative development program received a boost this year with the signing of a five-year bilateral project to extend the program to 42,000 additional households.

In collaboration with SEND-Ghana and the Credit Union Association of Ghana, CCA’s new FOSTERING project will improve food security and sustainable economic growth for small holder farmers in eight districts of Northern Ghana. CCA is delivering the FOSTERING project on behalf of the Co-operative Development Foundation of Canada (CDF) and with funds from the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development.

•Youth savings clubs in Ghana are teaching young people to save. Ghanaian credit union leaders visited credit unions, co-ops and high schools in Ontario and the Atlantic this year to explain how the Credit Union Association of Ghana has established 83 youth savings clubs with 17,000 youth members in schools and credit unions around the country.

•Despite mounting tensions in Ukraine, CCA's efforts with Quebec-based international co-op developer SOCODEVI to help farmers find markets for their grain saw significant progress this year. The first co-op was established in Dnipropetrovsk oblast, with plans to build a grain elevator there this year.

•CCA compiled a limited edition book this year commemorating its collaboration with Sri Lanka’s SANASA credit union movement to rebuild livelihoods in the aftermath of the 2004 Asian tsunami. Watch www.coopscanada.coop for launch date and how to order.

Farmer co-op members in Salaga, Northern Ghana pool and store their cocoa beans in this new warehouse facility, ready to sell for a better price when demand is high and supply is low.

8

The

Fac

e o

f D

eve

lop

me

nt

cca's portFolio reached $11.6 m this year.

THis incluDes a new five-year bilateral project in Northern Ghana, where credit unions and co-ops will bring improved incomes and food security to farm households struggling to survive. A one-year project in Colombia will help farmers improve their ability to meet export requirements. Several shorter term projects also began, including: a guarantee deposit consultancy with the Reserve Bank of Malawi, co-op research in Myanmar through a UN-managed fund, and researching women's co-operatives in Turkey.

cca DeliveRs international development work on behalf of the Co-operative Development Foundation of Canada (CDF) and other funders such as: The Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development (DFATD), The Canadian Red Cross (CRC), the Commonwealth Secretariat, the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) and the Government of Barbados. Our partnership with the Irish League of Credit Unions Foundation (ILCUF) brings additional resources to our work in Sierra Leone.

we’re Growing

Training is at the heart of building credit union capacity in Sierra Leone.

CDF ProjeCts 2013-2014CCA was proud to deliver the following projects on behalf of the Co-operative Development Foundation of Canada (CDF) this year:

Africa •  Ghana – Food Security

Through Co-operatives in Northern Ghana

•  ethiopia – Climate Resilience and Co-operatives in Ethiopia

•  Malawi – Sustainable Livelihoods through SACCOs

•  Rwanda – Co-operative Agricultural Growth

•  sierra leone – Supporting Credit Union Development in Sierra Leone

•  Tanzania – Meru and Arusha Livelihood and SACCOS Initiative (MALI)

•  uganda – Integrated Finance and Agricultural Production Initiative (IFAPI) Phase III

Asia•  cambodia – Transforming

Rural Finance in Cambodia

•  Myanmar – Piloting the Co-operative Model in Myanmar

•  indonesia – Production of Passion Fruit Co-op Development in South Sulawesi

•  Philippines – Philippines Flood Relief. Persons with Disability Pursuing Empowerment and Employment through Co-operatives

•  vietnam – Sustainable Livelihoods for Women in North Vietnam

south America•  colombia – Increase

Economic Growth and Food Security in Colombia

•  Peru – Sustainable Product Diversification for Value Added Economic Development

Global•  Women’s Mentorship Program

Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise

$1,680,894 (14%)

Agricultural Enterprise$4,648,365(40%)

Finance $5,297,699(46%)

Disbursements by sectors: 2013-2014 totAL: $11,626,958

revenues by source: 2013-2014 totAL: $11,626,958

DFATD$9,022,958 77.6%

Consultancy$568,047

5%

IDRC$78,693 .7%

ILCUF$84,029 .7%

Canadian Red Cross$860,499

7%

Co-operative Development Foundation of Canada

$890,639 8%

Other$122,093

1%

Inte

rnatio

nal D

eve

lop

me

nt R

evie

w 2

01

2-2

01

3

9

cca anD iTs neTWoRk of PaRTneR oRGanizaTions in 19 counTRies established and strengthened credit unions and co-operatives in Africa, Asia, South America, the Caribbean and in Eastern Europe this year.

Here’s where CCA worked: 1 BARBADOS2 COLOMBIA3 PERU4 ETHIOPIA5 GHANA

6 MALAWI7 RWANDA8 SIERRA LEONE9 TANZANIA

10 UGANDA11 CAMBODIA12 VIETNAM13 INDONESIA14 MONGOLIA

15 MYANMAR16 SRI LANKA17 PHILIPPINES18 TURKEY19 UKRAINE

where in the world...

2

3

45

6

7

8

9

10

11

14

13

15

1617

18

19

121

Thank you Women’s Mentorship Program host credit unions

Canada’s credit unions open their doors and share their knowledge with visiting women managers from credit unions around the globe during the annual Women’s Mentorship Program. We thank the following credit unions for their thoughtful mentorship in 2013:

•Coastal Community Credit Union (Nanaimo), BC •First West Credit Union, BC •Integris Credit Union, BC •Interior Savings, BC •Northern Savings, BC •Conexus Credit Union, SK •Credit Union Central of MB •Dauphin Plains Credit Union, MB •Sunova Credit Union, MB •Sunrise Credit Union, MB •Copperfin Credit Union, ON •Coastal Financial Credit Union, NS

10

Changing the Face of poverty

the Female Face oF poverty in developing countries

60-80%the percentage of food women produce in developing countries.

10%the percentage of credit available to women.

Each year since 2002, groups of women managers from credit unions in developing countries have spent a month attending training classes in Ottawa and mentorships in Canadian credit unions.

The Women’s Mentorship Program (WMP) is a dynamic opportunity for professional development and growth for all participants, bringing benefits to individuals, credit unions and communities alike.

If the face of poverty is so often female, so too is the face of potential. This year, an independent evaluation reported compelling evidence that the WMP is a proven vehicle for advancing gender equality and reducing poverty. The study cites 450 poverty reduction strategies graduates have initiated in their credit unions since the program began. They gave the WMP top scores for boosting their self-confidence and management skills.

WMP grads have returned home to create women-friendly savings and loans programs in their credit unions. More children, including girls, are attending school thanks to new products such as school flexi-loans, and standards of living are improved. Eighty per cent of graduates attending focus groups in the Philippines, Ghana and Uganda say the savings culture has improved in their communities. Graduates have introduced corporate social responsibility activities, such as loans for unemployed youth and sponsorships of school and community events.

Alumnae say membership is up, liquidity and profitability is improved, as is the reputation of the credit union. Loan delinquency - perhaps

Helina Quaque, manager of Berekum Area Teacher's Co-operative Credit Union in Ghana, enjoys the mountain view in BC.

2%the amount of land owned by women (1% in Sub-Saharan Africa).

Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)

10

The

Fac

e o

f D

eve

lop

me

nt

Inte

rnatio

nal D

eve

lop

me

nt R

evie

w 2

01

3-2

01

4

11

The work is intensive during the Ottawa study portion of the program.

•97% of participants say they have increased self-confidence and are more assertive.

•11 women credit union managers from 6 countries experienced this year’s Women’s Mentorship Program in Canada.

•The program has graduated 176 women from 18 countries hosted and mentored by more than 200 Canadian credit unions.

•80% of graduates continue to work in the credit union system (Nine-out-of-ten of these in their same credit unions).

the greatest challenge credit unions are facing, has been reduced. Operations have been expanded and professionalized, and new branches opened. Graduates have extended the program’s reach by forming alumnae associations in their home countries to extend the learning among themselves and other credit union managers.

This year, a group of women credit union leaders in Mongolia who earlier completed the Canadian program have initiated their own ‘echo’ women’s mentorship program for rural credit union managers which will run concurrently with the CCA program this May. The two groups will connect for deeper learning from their classrooms and credit unions in Canada and Mongolia.

“Delinquency in my savings and credit co-operative declined from 16% to 6% in less than one year using the techniques we learned in Canada.”

– wmp alumnae, Uganda

70%the estimated percentage of agricultural labour women provide.

12

The

Fac

e o

f D

eve

lop

me

nt

A Closer looksIerrA leoNeCredit unions make history While Sierra Leone has a rapidly growing economy, the wealth is accumulating in the top one per cent of the population. Banking lies beyond the reach of most citizens. CCA continues to work in Sierra Leone, partnered with the Irish League of Credit Unions Foundation, to rebuild credit unions in the wake of the country’s prolonged civil war.

Eighteen credit unions recently launched the country’s first credit union federation, the National Co-operative Credit Union Association of Sierra Leone, with the inaugural board (pictured above left) taking their oath of office in November. In the absence of legislation regulating financial co-operatives, the new apex is key to ensuring quality and discipline in the system, and building public trust and confidence that member’s money will be safe. The movement envisions having 100 credit union access points by the year 2025. The goal in this current phase is to develop 40 credit unions within three years, 25 of which qualify for government registration.

Credit union leaders in Sierra Leone are keen to apply the ideas and knowledge gleaned from their much more experienced counterparts in nearby Ghana, where a credit union system that was once faced

with bankruptcy is now vibrant and helping to sow the seeds of credit union movements in countries like Sierra Leone. Their contribution of training and advice is helping Sierra Leone’s new credit unions avoid key pitfalls on their road of development.

VIeTNAMWomen farmers in Dien Bien ‘going co-op’ In Vietnam, CCA’s partner, the Community Finance Resource Centre, mobilized marginalized ethnic women farmers in remote Dien Bien to plant high value hibiscus crops - an innovation in their village. A tea company in Hanoi seeking producers provided technical assistance. The women (pictured above right) discovered a robust local market for their flavourful red tea and quadrupled the income they might have earned from growing traditional crops. The nine women plan to recruit more farmer members for what they hope will become a thriving new co-operative.

Before joining her credit union, Mamie Conteh hid her savings in this metal clothing trunk.

Inte

rnatio

nal D

eve

lop

me

nt R

evie

w 2

01

3-2

01

4

13

PerUCo-operative makes the most of their natural hot spring If you build it they will come. Atahualpa Co-operative in the town of Huancahuasi renovated their hot springs and hotel, opened a restaurant to support the growing number of visitors who make the nail-biting ascent to sample the town’s natural baths high in the Peruvian Andes. Word of the healing properties of Atahualpa’s fresh mountain hot springs is travelling far and wide throughout Peru. Behind these developments were financial investments by CCA and several visits from CCA technical experts who advised the co-op on the development of a community waste management plan and existing markets for local products from Huancahuasi. The CCA investment saw a four-fold increase in co-op income, in spite of gaps when heavy rains washed bridges away during the busy Easter tourist season.

Over 30,000 tourists now visit the baths annually, a jump of more than 250 per cent since the project began, with more and more opting to stay overnight in the hotel. Surveying visitors is now a regular practice at the co-op, and there has been a significant increase in the involvement of women in the co-op. Garbage is no longer discarded in the local river and most residents recycle their waste which the local school sells to generate income.

There is now a renewed interest in producing and selling organic canola oil after a market study pointed to untapped tourist demand for local products as souvenirs of their visits to Huancahuasi.

Strengthening small producer co-ops in Peru

CCA is working in Peru with the co-operative NORANDINO to generate sustainable income for 800 marginalized coffee, sugar cane, cacao and fruit producers by linking them to local and international markets. To do this, CCA is assisting NORANDINO to strengthen the organizational development, fair trade, and organic production and export activities of small producer associations in Northern Peru. This year saw the development of eight new farmer groups. Some region-level farmer organizations are now providing credit, internal inspections for quality control and certification of production, and organic fertilizer and seedlings to their members.

•After more than eleven years of effort, NORANDINO attained official co-operative status this year, ensuring that its members are now owners of the assets built up by the co-operative.

• Atahualpa Co-operative in Peru has experienced a 560 per cent rise in the number of tourists who opt to stay over night in Huancahuasi while visiting the co-op’s hot springs. The co-op installed solar panels to assure ample supplies of hot water in guest accommodations.

Jams are just one of the many NORANDINO product lines.

14

The

Fac

e o

f D

eve

lop

me

nt

TrIANGUlATING sUCCess  Farmers in Uganda are leaving poverty behind when their credit unions, marketing co-ops and farmer co-ops work together. Ugandan farmer and co-op organizer Julius Turyahebwa shared this compelling story on his Western Canada study tour during Co-op Week. He manages a CCA project with the Uganda Co-operative Alliance to help farmers prosper in a program that integrates finance, marketing and agriculture co-ops. And it’s working. Farmers are doubling their production and sales with technical training, grain storage and marketing financed through credit unions. They save at least 15 per cent on inputs and have grown their revenues by as much as 30 per cent.

CCA To sTUDY lINkING FArMer AND FINANCIAl Co-oPs IN eAsT AFrICACCA received funding from the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) to carry out a timely research project examining the impact of co-operatives on poverty reduction in rural and remote areas of both Africa and Canada. The three-year study will look at the Integrated Co-operative Model developed by the Uganda Co-operative Alliance (UCA) with support from CCA, and assess whether rural development through co-operatives works better when the co-ops are integrated and, if so, under what conditions the integration works best. CCA is collaborating with the Centre for the Study of Co-operatives at the University of Saskatchewan, along with the School of Agricultural Sciences at Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda, Moshi University College of Co-operative and Business Studies in

Moshi, Tanzania, and the Independent Institute of Lay Adventists in Kigali, Rwanda.

A Closer look

30%the percentage by which Farmers revenue has grown

Julius Turyahebwa

MaRkeTinG co-oPs faRMeR co-oPs

financial co-oPs

Asaph Nuwabiine, Manager at Nyakyera Farmers SACCO in Nyakyera, Uganda explains how co-ops work together to benefit farmers.

Inte

rnatio

nal D

eve

lop

me

nt R

evie

w 2

01

3-2

01

4

15

Tools oF THe TrADeequipping co-operative trainers to succeedAs a learning organization, CCA and its co-operative partners are committed to improving the tools and approaches they use in developing strong, effective co-operatives and credit unions. This year, CCA’s financial sector specialist, Derek Cameron worked with editor/illustrator Don McNair to create a series

of plain-language troubleshooting guides on governance, lending and loan management, and savings mobilization. The guides will help CCA’s volunteer credit union coaches prepare for the conditions and challenges they are likely to encounter at the credit unions they visit, and have been expanded, rewritten and made available to volunteers, interns and partners. Troubleshooting guides on financial literacy, planning and capitalization are in the works.

•CCA increased its volunteer participation for the fourth year in a row, offering more Canadian co-operators innovative and strategic opportunities to volunteer from home as well as overseas.

•Malawi’s savings and credit co-operatives (SACCOs) turned to Canada’s credit unions for specialized skills to help them ride out their nation’s tail-spinning economy. Karen McBride, retired executive VP and Chief Risk and Compliance Officer at Concentra Financial completed her second five-month mission, this time creating risk management tools for the credit union system.

Karen McBride (centre) in Zomba, Malawi with prospective savings club members.

16

The

Fac

e o

f D

eve

lop

me

nt

A Closer lookCo-oPerATIVes GroWING FooD seCUrITY AND eXPorT reADINess Illicit crop production was once a major source of income for Colombian farmers. By encouraging co-operative organization and a move to sustainable alternatives such as cocoa, and fruits and vegetables, CCA and its partner GESTANDO are building sustainable economic development and improving food security and livelihoods in rural areas of three departments (provinces).

Gestando made huge strides this year. All but one of the 15 farmer co-ops and associations it works with achieved financial self-sufficiency. Following an intensive process of training and coaching to understand the co-op enterprise model and the principles of democratic co-operative functioning, 11 of the 15 entities have converted to legally registered co-operatives. This will significantly help farmers improve their

operations and realize advantages of economies of scale. Government leaders have followed our progress and embraced this approach.

This year, CCA and Gestando embarked on a one-year project to improve the ability of cocoa and fruit farmer co-operatives in Colombia to meet export requirements under the Canada-Colombia Free Trade Agreement. A Canadian technical expert will train farmers on export requirements and market studies will be conducted on the export potential of Colombian producers. CCA and GESTANDO will consult governments and producers about challenges and barriers to international exporting.

Fruit farmer Sandra Sanchez says her the co-op garners better prices for her berries in Bogotá than at her local market.

Co-op board member Susana Fino and husband Sinibaldo prune papayuela branches on their farm in Saboya, Colombia.

Inte

rnatio

nal D

eve

lop

me

nt R

evie

w 2

01

3-2

01

4

17

•CCA’s project in Colombia brought together two co-ops interested in producing chocolate from their cocoa beans. The new co-op, Cointeboy, produces over 4,000 pounds of chocolate each month and this year introduced its product, Rico Aroma, into a number of supermarkets in the city of Chiquinquirá. They plan to take their product to Mexico, which fills Cointeboy chairperson José Alirio with pride.

•CCA credit union consultant Fred Townley-McKay (below) is assisting the Uganda Central Cooperative Financial Services (UCCFS) with their strategic planning and mentoring their board and general manager.

eTHIoPIAFarmers use co-ops to weather climate change A lack of predictable rainfall and chronic over use of land are playing havoc with farmers’ crop yields, water supplies, and livelihoods in the drought and flood prone region of Amhara, in Northern Ethiopia.

This year, farmers improved their ability to weather extreme climate change by bringing their credit unions into partnerships with farmer and marketing co-ops to pool, store and market their product, plant hardier and less rain-dependent seeds, and bring land back into production.

Announced on Earth Day, the $2.1 million project funded by the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development helped 12,000 poor farmer households to produce more and better quality crops and linked already established co-operatives to credit unions. Activities included adopting improved crop seeds and seedlings, promoting diversified and integrated crop and livestock production systems, adopting minimum tillage practices to increase soil fertility, building gravity-fed irrigation systems, and constructing warehouses to store crops for sale when prices are high. CCA has successfully used integrated agricultural and financial co-operative approaches to improve food security and promote economic growth in other regions of Africa.

Yeshi Alem Dagnew shares her tasty maize at a farmers meeting. Yeshi is a member of the Woreta Zuria Multi-Purpose Co-operative in Ethiopia.

(left to right) Patrick Bakunda, UCCFS Chief Executive Officer, Solomon Mwongyere, CCA Field Project Officer, Faye Townley-McKay, Fred Townley-McKay.

18

The

Fac

e o

f D

eve

lop

me

nt

Canadian volunteers Build Great Co-ops

Each year, CCA mobilizes Canadian experts to bring co-operative tools and approaches to communities working their way out of poverty.

Drawn from across Canada, they are deeply proud of the role they play in this international transfer of knowledge. This year, Canadian co-op and credit union employees, board members and retirees volunteered approximately 3,000 days to CCA projects – that’s about $1.8 million in donated expertise - to put their values and co-op principles to work in Ghana, Rwanda, Uganda, Malawi, Colombia, Myanmar, Cambodia, the Philippines and beyond.

CCA commissioned a landmark study to learn what impact our volunteers have had with CCA partners, at home, and in their own lives. The results show that volunteers experience an increased knowledge of co-operative values (77%), different cultures (91%), new business practices (85%) and co-operative management (44%).

Whether traveling on overseas assignments, hosting study missions, mentoring visiting credit union managers, or communicating the value of international development with other Canadians, volunteers are the cornerstone of CCA's success.

“Partners widely recognize that CCA brings invaluable expertise in co-operative development and the use of volunteers is especially helpful and effective in projects.”– cca study

“The use of volunteers is an efficient means of providing experts/expertise.”– cca study

21 Canadian credit union coaches shared their knowledge to help strengthen credit unions in Malawi, Ghana and Uganda this year. The team also included two coaches from the Irish League of Credit Unions Foundation.

Inte

rnatio

nal D

eve

lop

me

nt R

evie

w 2

01

3-2

01

4

19

thank You CCa volunteersCCA thanks you on behalf of the co-operatives and credit unions we work with overseas for sharing your expertise, your time, and your commitment to build a better world – a world where individuals and communities thrive economically, culturally, and socially aided by their co-operatives and credit unions.

CCA INTERNATIONAL PROGRAM COMMITTEE MEMBERS 2013-2014

Patrice Pratt (Chair), Cheryl Byrne, Sandy Wallace, Terry Geib, Myrna Bentley, Dan Burns, Scott Kennedy, Janet Zukowsky, Michael Barrett.

CANADIAN GRADS LEARN AND SHARE

Twelve university graduates, including Alexa Creelman (pictured in Peru, right), took up overseas internships this year in Uganda, Ghana, Rwanda, Malawi, Philippines, Mongolia and Peru. Their work ranged from marketing, micro-enterprise development, climate change and environmental programming, and HIV/AIDS and gender programming, and youth and community outreach. CCA has placed highly skilled interns in 17 developing countries since 1996.

•CCA recruited 58 volunteers from Canadian co-ops and credit unions for international missions, including coaching missions and missions to help co-operatives in Ghana, Malawi, Mongolia and Myanmar gauge the health and strength of their organizations using CCA’s Development Ladder Assessment Tool.

•The legacy of noted co-op educator and leader Peter Hlushko is reaching into Mongolia. For ten years, the interest on the bursary that The Co-operators established in Mr. Hlushko’s name with CCA assisted Canadian young people to attend co-op training. The balance is now at work building co-op training in Mongolia.

Linda Archer

Lucy Bamforth

Katherine Bardswick

Michael Barrett

William Barrett

Betty Bauhuis

Tom Beernik

Dale Boisclair

Fay Booker

Graham Boulding

Kelly Bowman

Rayanne Brennan

Joan Burdeniuk

Daniel Burns

Cheryl Byrne

Larry Carnegie

Sonja Carrière

Calais Caswell

Jodi Chambers

Deborah Chatterton

Angie Chiu

Lacey Chyz

Katherine Clark

Randy Clark

Roméo Cormier

Cindy Corrigan

Catherine Crawley

Alexa Creelman

Norman Davidson

Murielle Didomencantonio

Blair Dixon

Richard Doerksen

Kenneth Doleman

Deborah Edwards

Vanessa Elliott

Karim Esmail

Scott Flavel

Leona Fleck

Robert Forsythe

Christopher Galloway

Claude Gauthier

Terry Geib

Elisabeth Geller

Glen Goddard

Raphael Gonzalez

Tanya Gracie

Stephen Grant

Loree Gray

Sheelagh Greek

Lareina Grosse

Amanda Hachey

Erin Hancock

Jim Harris

Murray Hidlebaugh

Karen Howatson

Carol Hunter

Janice Johnson

Rick Juliusson

Daniel Jungwirth

Wendy Keats

Stephanie Keeler

Rowland Kelly

Scott Kennedy

Susan Klassen

Tracey Kliesch

Normand Lafrenière

Mark Lane

Leo Leblanc

Lorri Lochrie

Catherine Ludgate

Debra Mackay

Megan Malone

Joyce Mankarios

Jane Martin

Dennis Matthies

Bev Maxim

Karen McBride

Elaine McCullum

Martin McInnis

Brenda McIntyre

Carolyn McPherson

Jillian McPherson

Marty Meloche

Nancy Meyer

Cindy Millar

Heidi Miller

Emilie Morissette

Cory Munden

Farai Mutasa

Dominique Nadeau

Debbie Neddow

Jennifer Nelson

Gus Norrie

Colm Ó Maoldomhnaigh

Heather O'Hare

Anthony Okuchi

Robert Patterson

Sarah Pervez

Sharlet Poole

Patrice Pratt

Lisa Prince

Trudy Rasmuson

Trish Rasmussen

Audrey Reynolds

Rocio Bone Ritchot

Charles Ruys

Mike Ryan

Judith Sainsbury

Jeannie Shore

Randal Tate

Dan Taylor

Gwen Temmel

Bonnie Thornbury

Fred Townley-Mckay

Bryan Tudor

Richard Turley

Michael Turner

Eric Tusz King

Carlo Valle

Mark Ventry

Donald Walker

Sandy Wallace

Raymond White

Randy Whittaker

Jennifer Williams

Janet Zukowsky

THE STAFF OF:

Coastal Community Credit Union (BC)

First West Credit Union (BC)

Integris Credit Union (BC)

Interior Savings Credit Union (BC)

Northern Savings (BC)

Conexus Credit Union (SK)

Credit Union Central of Manitoba (MB)

Dauphin Plains Credit Union (MB)

Sunova Credit Union (MB)

Sunrise Credit Union (MB)

Copperfin Credit Union (ON)

Coastal Financial Credit Union (NS)

20

The

Fac

e o

f D

eve

lop

me

nt

Give back to others • Share your knowledge • Live the co-operative values

The Canadian Co-operative Association is a not-for-profit co-operative which establishes and strengthens co-operatives, credit unions and community based organizations to reduce poverty, build sustainable livelihoods and improve civil society in less developed countries. For more information, visit www.coopscanada.coop

canaDian co-oPeRaTive associaTion 400 – 275 Bank street, ottawa, canada k2P 2l6 Tel: (613) 238-6711 Ext. 207 • Fax: (613) 567-0658  Toll free: (866) 266-7677 ext. 207 email: [email protected]

Join the team

Printed on Forest Stewardship Council-certified, post-consumer recycled paper.

Design and Production: Green Communication Design inc. www.greencom.ca

CCA president Bill Dobson (centre) works with project co-ordinator Alfonso Palomo (right) and members of Atahualpa Co-operative in Huancahuasi, Peru. They are rigging up a tool for seeding the hilly canola fields in this remote region of the Andes.

Follow us on: @CCA_Intl

www.facebook.com/CoopsInCanada

Check out:www.coopscanada.coop or write to: [email protected]

See it all: See it all at the CCA YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/CCAottawa

Become a CCa volunteer

Les programmes de l‘Association des coopératives du Canada sont réalisés avec l’appui financier du gouvernement du Canada accordé par l’entremise d’Affaires étrangères, Commerce et Développement Canada

Canadian Co-operative Association programs are undertaken with the financial support of the Government of Canada provided through Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada.

FSC goes here