Following the support of producers by Inades-Formation Burundi, cooperatives were created by the beneficiaries. This article traces the journey of the INYISHU KUBARIMYI cooperative towards its empowerment. Its headquarters are established in Maramvya Zone, Mutimbuzi Commune, Bujumbura Province, Imbo natural region. The commitment of predominantly female members in the cooperative movement was preceded by local support for producers through a National Confederation of Cotton Producers Associations (CNAPCO) since 2008. Currently, the cooperative has 73 members, including 43 women and 30 men.
To stimulate their know-how and open their horizons for the diversification of activities, Inades-Formation Burundi has provided various training courses to the members of the said cooperative. Among other things, he developed themes related to organizational management, the setting up of income-generating activities and the rational management of crops. They also learned the importance of intercropping to deal with food insecurity and adapt to the climatic variability that is currently undermining the agricultural sector. It is with this in mind that they finally applied the association of rice, maize and cotton crops. In addition, this approach has enabled them to make their plots of land profitable and to increase their household incomes through the marketing of part of the harvest.
At the request of the INYISHU KUBARIMYI Cooperative and as part of its actions to support peasant initiatives, Inades-Formation Burundi built them a rice harvest storage shed with rice drying air.
This makes it easier for them to better prepare for its transformation to be sold on the cheap.
Thanks to their determination, this infrastructure is installed in a plot specific to the cooperative. The savings made from their activities enabled them to purchase three more plots. This situation comforts her in a competitive context with other rice processing units located nearby.
Captivated by their manifest commitment and with a view to further supporting their initiatives, Inades-Formation Burundi provided them with a starter huller. The shed and the machine are fundamental tools in raising funds.
Fund raising strategies
At the machine, full members pay 50FBU/Kg of husked paddy rice. Local producers secure their harvest in the cooperative’s shed. They also benefit from the services of husking their rice. The rice bran is recovered to benefit the cooperative. The funds collected through these services rendered and the membership fees are deposited in an account opened in a local microfinance called: Cooperative d’Epargne et de Crédit Communautaire “CECCO located very close to the headquarters of the cooperative. With the intention of maximizing gains, the same cooperative and some individual members are among the shareholders of this microfinance.
In addition, to meet daily needs and strengthen social cohesion, members of the cooperative develop another form of savings and short-term credit internally. They created tontines.
Operation of tontines
They mobilize weekly dues. Funds raised are capital. They exchange money monthly and on a rotating basis according to the needs expressed by the members. The amount granted is a credit that must be repaid at the end of the month with 5% interest. The interest mobilized is kept each time to be shared at the end of the year. The pooled capital is not touched in order to guarantee the cycle. This approach contributes effectively to the commercial dynamics of members with a female majority and to social cohesion.
Acquisition of a new sheller
During the month of January 2022, the members of the cooperative decided to increase the performance of the services offered to members and to its external customers so that empowerment is a reality. Based on the savings received from microfinance, they decided to buy a second hulling machine. It cost eleven million four hundred thousand Burundian francs (11,400,000 FBU or 5,600 USD).
Appreciation of the support by the beneficiaries
During a session conducted with the members of the cooperative and the Advocacy and Communication Officer at Inades-Formation Burundi on February 25, 2022, the cooperative is delighted with the support.
They unanimously affirm that the step taken is the result of training provided previously. Having large drying space and two shelling machines resulting from his efforts, they intend to compete with the big traders in the area.
The President of the Cooperative, Mrs SINIREMERA Justine testifies that the benefits will be multiplied either by two or by three.
Relationship with the Administration
Moreover, the cooperative testifies to its good relationship with the administration at the base. It contributes to various local development projects, in particular the maintenance of infrastructures such as internal roads. It pays an annual municipal tax of 50,000 FBU. This demonstrates its capacity as a taxpayer and proves its cooperative character in accordance with the 2017 law governing cooperative societies in Burundi. The cooperative once again implores the support of Inades-Formation in the implementation of other ambitions, in this case the creation of a microfinance which could later become a commercial bank according to their long-term vision. The cooperative remains open to visitors who would like to learn from them.
It plans as much as possible to make visits to exchange experiences with other cooperatives in the country or in the sub-region which would be more developed at the national level or in the sub-region.
Communication Department – Inades-Formation Burundi
