On Wednesday, February 9, ten women from Konouz Lakdirat Cooperative and 11 women from the community received training from the Office for the Development of Cooperation (ODCO) by Mr. Sihmmed Hazil, who accompanied the HAF team. The cooperative was launched by the USAID Farmer-to-Farmer Program, which is implemented by HAF in Morocco. The training tackled different areas of what a cooperative is, the essential conditions that can make a cooperative continuous, and how to make a strong internal system. The women followed the lecture with full attention and asked questions about how they can deal with the challenges that they are facing since they are in a remote area that has suffered because of climate change.
According to Mr. Hazil, some factors that make a cooperative continuous and successful include the following:
- Productivity of the members
- Good communication between members and workers
- Clear vision about the cooperation’s project
- Team spirit
- Administrative and financial management and organization
Communication inside the cooperative is a key to discovering creative solutions for making agricultural products. The women make couscous and sweets from products purchased at the weekly souk (market), but they need more guidance in marketing these products. The team and trainers suggested ideas that can help, which begin with contacting the local authorities, renting a small, local workspace, and meeting the ONSSA standards for organic certification.
To conclude, the cooperative members expressed that they are gathering to achieve the same goal. It is a way to open national and international doors for blessed opportunities. And that can be achieved through good marketing to encourage people to cooperate with the women.