CANKUZO January 20th (ABP) – Women leaders are called upon to work in synergy with the administration in sensitizing women on the self-creation of cooperatives. That appeal was launched on Tuesday, January 18, by the governor’s adviser in charge of socio-cultural affairs, Mrs. Evelyne Dusenge, during a meeting she held for them on the development of women through cooperatives.
The Cankuzo province (eastern Burundi) has 252 cooperatives, including 73 young people with their own capital, 87 sangwe cooperatives and 92 cooperatives of unemployed young people. The head of the provincial office of the cooperative and associative movement in Cankuzo, Mr. Ezechiel Nteziriba, says he is satisfied with the step already taken by the province in terms of the number and economy of cooperatives, because, he explains, there was no only 11 cooperatives in 2013. However, he regrets that there is no legally recognized women’s cooperative.
He emphasizes that they have statutes without legal reference apart from the agreements they have had, formulated, signed a few times or not by the communal administrators, which is recognized by the women leaders who participated in the meeting.
The women leaders have pledged to make efforts to seek NIFs and business registers which are, moreover, essential to be recognized by law, but also to have access to loan given that the Women’s Bank will soon open its doors.
As for Mrs. Dusenge, she called on those women leaders to carry the message far and to work in synergy with the administration in the work of mobilizing women in the community on the importance of creating cooperatives in order to develop.