Foundation Caritas Luxembourg in collaboration with the Eastern Equatoria State Ministry of Cooperative and Rural Development forms a cooperative union and Saving and Credit Cooperative Society or (SACCO) in Magwi County.
The union’s first proposed name Ayaci Cooperative Union was changed to ‘Magwi County Producers Cooperative Union and the SACCO name green belt in a democratic manner during the formation event.
Head of Mission Caritas Luxembourg François Nzabahimana, says different cooperative societies in Magwi County have given 200 metric tons of their produce to the World Food Programme.
“Last year they have given to the WFP 200 metric tons and this year we want to give 300 – 400 tons and our program is supporting 5,000 farmers, we want each farmer to produce one tons of maize that means from beggars in 2013, nine years later you are now givers that mean you are resilience and you can grow fast, this morning they say we are giving birth and giving birth to twin, Magwi Producers Union and Green Belt SACCO. We Caritas Luxembourg, we cannot fail what you have done together is commitment to yourself”, he explains.
Director-General in the State Ministry of Cooperative and Rural Development, Adedomia Franco, urges members of the cooperative to raise enough capital to achieve something.
He affirms its ministry’s commitment to stand with the Cooperative Union and never to let it down
“Raise enough capital if it is little it cannot do anything, try your level best, I am sure you will do it because we know you, if you follow what I say you will progress. We belief in you go ahead we shall work with you; we shall not leave you we shall always be with you. We are going to audit your account one by one and lastly you will see that you are progressing or you are not progressing”, he stresses.
Magwi County Commissioner, Otto David Ramson, urges Caritas Luxembourg to improve farm productivity by modifying from using hand tools to modern methods of farming.
He tells humanitarian partners operating in his county to give seeds to farmers in time for early planting.
David believes if the farmers are empowered the productivity will improve more than the current production.
“I appreciate the work of your hand for giving a tons of 200 that is a help to the nation, Head of Mission Caritas we are able to feed the whole country if you will give us the system because we are using our hand hoes .this times we need the machine like tractors and others so that we advance 200 even to 2,000,000, so we are not wasting time as Magwi people, God has given as the land he has given us the mine we know what we shall do. Another request is as the government of Magwi county, we are going to have different groups for the cooperative within Magwi county make sure your supply through seeds should be early, so that we people plant earlier”, he says.
The speakers made their remarks during the formation of the Cooperative Union together Saving and Credit Cooperative Society in Palotaka, Magwi County of Eastern Equatoria State on Friday.