MURAMVYA October 25th (ABP) – The cooperative for popular self-development (COAP) Rugemangango of Bukeye in Muramvya province is a real model to imitate given the testimonies of its president and its members.
The members of that cooperative testify that they are able to take out loans and repay them, to stock up on organo-mineral fertilizers and school materials and to meet other needs thanks to their cooperative, he said.
The president of that cooperative, Mr. Callixte Ndayishimiye, indicated that COAP-Rugemangango dates from 2013.
To begin, they brought together community groups composed of 10 to 20 members. Each member benefited from a cow, a pig, a chicken or a goat depending on their wishes. The beneficiary had to hand over livestock to his neighbor for production so that those around him could also benefit from the cooperative’s profits.
From 2013 to 2018, he specified, all members of COAP-Rugemangango had benefited from a domestic animal, stressing that 1,651 families each received a domestic animal including 999 pigs and 651 cows. Over time, the members of the cooperative thought about making organo-mineral fertilizers available. During the recent 2024 growing season, Mr. Ndayishimiye reported that the cooperative placed an order for 105 tons of fertilizer, which means that each member of the cooperative made the order according to the area of their land holding. And to add that the cooperative is responsible for paying the remaining balance so that members can come and collect their fertilizer whenever necessary.
The president of COAP-Rugemangango indicated that that strategy spares them the problem of shortage of fertilizers due to the fact that they are always stored by the said cooperative. He is delighted that thanks to their experience, even the federation of cooperatives “Umugwiza” of Kayanza has placed its trust in that cooperative by distributing 10 tons of hybrid corn. All those seeds have been sown on approximately 400 hectares and the expected production is 2,400 tons.
According to him, that production will allow members of the cooperative to feed their families and sell the surplus to the “Umugwiza” cooperative federation of Kayanza. Aside from that federation, he also revealed a contract with the company “BRARUDI” to supply him with barley for yeast processing, specifying that their cooperative has a stock of four tons of barley seeds.
In order to come to the aid of elderly people, that cooperative has already set up a project called “Akabando”. In its implementation, food shops are being installed here and there so that people of advanced age can easily and free of charge get what they need. “We also have a partnership with the SOCAR insurance company and almost all the members of our cooperative pay contributions to benefit from compensation in the event of an accident,” he testifies, adding that they have other partners such as DIFO, MUTEC and so on.
The president of the cooperative for popular self-development Rugemangango also indicated that members of the cooperative who have opened accounts in banks or microfinance institutions are able to take out loans for their needs.
In the educational sector, members easily obtain school materials. Regarding future prospects, the members of COAP-Rugemangango intend to set up a community health mutual and a milk collection and processing center.
Contacted by the ABP to inquire about their assessment, they testified that their living conditions have changed since they joined that cooperative. They indicate that thanks to the livestock given to them, they have organic manure on a permanent basis, which leads to an increase in production. In addition, they are delighted that their cooperative is inclusive in the sense that even the Batwa community is represented there. Note that with the recent administrative redistribution, that cooperative, which has 6,000 members in addition to 70 others who request to join, is located in Matongo commune of Butanyerera province.