Zambia: The Municipal Council District Planning Officer of Choma district believes that the farmers of the district should learn about creating cooperatives. Shamunza Milupi has observed that the administration must take steps to ensure that the required education is provided to them.
The creation of cooperatives will help the people of the country to find funding opportunities for the people. With a well made cooperative, the people can get the support for the development of their community.
He shared that the people of Singani need to learn how to form cooperatives which would better benefit the people of the country. The Municipal Council District Planning Officer made these remarks during the Constituency Development Fund-CDF sensitization programme.
The event was organized by the Open Net for All Zambia on Wednesday. Milupi observed that the majority of people are not aware of what to do when forming groupings. Milupi noted the need for cooperatives to be well-established and organized to facilitate funding opportunities.
The sentiment of the Municipal Council District Planning Officer, Shamunza Milupi was applauded by the locals of Choma. The residents shared their own experiences of attempting to create cooperatives and stressed on the importance of sensitization.
A resident of Singani, Sibajene Adonisi, stated that in 2022, they came together with other colleagues to form a cooperative. The aim of the said cooperative was to venture into goat raring.
He, however, noted that the cooperative has not been funded to date, speculating that they might not have followed the correct procedure for forming the group and applying for financing.
Adonisi said with the knowledge gathered at the sensitization outing, his group will go back to reform the Cooperative in line with stipulations. The cooperatives can get funding and assistance from the administration of the district.
Many businesses and self-help groups have greatly benefited from creating groups and cooperatives. These help the members raise funds at an affordable price and contribute to the district’s economy by engaging in productive trades.