Shared Interest-COLEAD: an ongoing partnership supporting cocoa & coffee cooperatives in Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana and Rwanda

Shared Interest-COLEAD: an ongoing partnership supporting cocoa & coffee cooperatives in Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana and Rwanda.

• First phase of the project completed: completion of a diagnostic of the “governance and financial framework of the participating cooperatives”.
• Next phase of the project: start of training on “Cooperative governance and management”.

The Shared Interest Foundation (SIF), a UK-based charity, is working with COLEAD to improve the operational effectiveness and sustainability of cooperatives in Côte d’Ivoire, Uganda and Rwanda. These cooperatives are currently funded by the Shared Interest Society, the commercial arm of SIF.

The partnership, signed at the end of February 2024, will run for one year and has three main components: (i) a baseline diagnostic phase to identify gaps and weaknesses in each cooperative’s governance and financial framework, (ii) a training programme on cooperative governance, management, planning and commercial/financial management, and (iii) an introductory session to raise awareness of climate resilience measures. The cooperatives benefiting from this initiative are mainly active in the cocoa and coffee sectors.

Following the signing of the partnership, virtual kick-off meetings were held with teams in West Africa (Côte d’Ivoire) and East Africa (Uganda and Rwanda). These meetings included presentations from COLEAD’s central and local (expert) teams, cooperative representatives and the Shared Interest Foundation/Lending teams.

Over the past few months, face-to-face working sessions have been held with each of the eight cooperatives, culminating in the completion of the first element of the project – the baseline diagnostic phase. The diagnostic reports, which identify existing gaps and weaknesses in governance and financial frameworks, are currently being shared with the eight participating cooperatives.

The next step in the partnership is the launch of a “Training on Cooperative Governance and Management”, which will begin on 1 July with pilot cooperatives in Côte d’Ivoire, followed by those in Uganda and Rwanda. This training is specifically targeted at the Presidents of the Boards of Directors (PCA), Secretaries General (SG), Treasurers, Directors and Accountants of the cooperatives. Upon completion of the training, it is expected that the participants will have improved skills and competencies in governance and organisational management procedures.

The partnership with Shared Interest Foundation is an important milestone for COLEAD, as it confirms the association’s role as an implementing agency for technical assistance, helping MSMEs and agricultural cooperatives to access appropriate finance, complementing the technical assistance COLEAD has historically provided in the area of market access.

Shared Interest Foundation was established in 2004 as a charitable subsidiary of Shared Interest Society. Its aim is to work with producers who need support to grow and be more sustainable, ultimately alleviating poverty by helping people to trade and earn a living.  Founded in 1990, Shared Interest Society brings together a community of more than 12,000 people in the UK with the common goal of investing in a fairer world. They work hand in hand with communities where income opportunities may be limited and where businesses face increasing challenges. Shared Interest works cooperatively, funding Fair Trade enterprises in 45 countries. Most of these organisations support smallholder farmers who produce around a third of the world’s food but often struggle to feed their families.