Cooperatives celebrated International Cooperative Day on October 11 at Ubworoherane Stadium in Musanze District.
The event featured parades and cooperative exhibitions, bringing together communities from across the country to highlight how cooperatives have empowered local livelihoods.
Under the theme ‘Cooperatives Building a Better Future for All’, attendees included provincial governors, government dignitaries, and numerous community members.
The celebration focused on the role of cooperatives in community empowerment and emphasised the importance of embracing digital transformation as a means to unlock their full potential and promote sustainable development for all.
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Dr. Patrice Mugenzi, Director General of the Rwanda Cooperative Agency (RCA), emphasised the significant contributions that cooperatives give to both families and the national economy, adding that they are initiating a cashless campaign that encourages cooperatives to digitise their operations.
"As we celebrate the International Day of Cooperatives and the positive impact that cooperatives have had on their members and the country as a whole, people are content and living better lives, which directly benefits the economy. We all know that cooperatives contribute to economic growth but also foster peace within families,” he said.
Mugenzi also added that cooperatives aspire to operate professionally aligning with global trends, particularly through the use of technologies.
"Looking ahead, we aim to enhance the quality of life for our members and non-members; for instance, we have initiated a cashless campaign because we want to ensure that cooperative members are recognised as legitimate employers, and this digital transformation will help us monitor their activities more effectively and provide appropriate support,” he stated.
The Governor of the Northern Province, Maurice Mugabowagahunde, highlighted the crucial role that cooperatives play in society, especially for women and the youth, adding that they have been working closely with RCA to address any challenges they may face, collaborating to build the country and strengthen families at home.
"We are celebrating because we all know one person cannot achieve much on their own but it can be achieved through cooperatives. I believe that with cooperatives we can accomplish greater things. Additionally, cooperative members are often the first to save with Ejo Heza and to pay for their Mutuelle de santé, and this demonstrates their commitment to financial responsibility,” he said.
Mugabowagahunde also added that despite the past challenges of cooperatives, such as financial management, they have implemented a new law designed to regulate and penalise those who abuse their power, ensuring a more accountable cooperative sector.
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Madeline Batamuliza, a member of Twongere Umusaruro wa Kawa TUK cooperative focused on coffee farming, expressed how grateful she is to be a member of a cooperative because it has changed her life and how she used to think—that coffee farming was a man’s job—but now she is doing it to sustain her family.
"Before I joined the cooperative, I was very lonely, and I didn’t have much to do in my life, but since I joined, my children go to school, and none of them have missed school due to not having school fees, and being part of a cooperative allows me to pay for our Mutuelle de santé and contribute to Ejo Heza each year,” she said.