We Effect
We Effect – formerly Swedish Cooperative Centre – is a key partner with the MCU. We Effect is a development cooperation organization whose objective is to contribute to reduced poverty levels and injustices among small scale male and female farmers of affiliate organizations.
Coffee Productivity and Marketing Enhancement (CPME) Project. Machakos Cooperative Union is implementing the Coffee Productivity and Marketing Enhancement (CPME) Project with an objective to sustainably improve coffee productivity among the targeted male and female farmers within the affiliate cooperatives in Machakos County and its environs.
Project objective and outputs
Current cooperatives participating in the project
Achievements of the project
• Revision of bylaws to include women in the decision-making process of the Union by creating 3 slots for women.
• 57% increase in the turnover of the union general activity in 2014.
• Capacity development for leaders on governance, coffee marketing, certification, lobbying and advocacy etc.
• Employment of an agronomist to provide extension services to the farmers on good farming practices.
• Trained 12 women and 37 men on SALMs practices to help the farmers on good management of their land.
• Trained 13 women and 15 men promoter farmers on safe and effective use of chemicals for application in their coffee farms.
• Trained 5 women and 14 men – society managers on significance of shading coffee trees and conserving the environment.
• Trained 2 TOTs on water and sanitation.
• Other interventions targeted on the Board and staff have been on: –
• Coffee marketing and certification
• Lobbying, advocacy and networking
• Gender, HIV and Aids
• Improved access to diversified markets
• Lower Eastern Coffee Mill which was mooted during the first strategic plan facilitated by We Effect in June 2010 was commissioned in 2014 and milled coffee for 10 cooperatives and 24 Planters. More cooperatives are expected in 2015 after expiry of their milling contracts with commercial millers.
• Fair trade recertification of LECOM coffee Mill and certification of 25 affiliates of the union.
• Increase in coffee payment rates by an average of 50%
• Establishment of 33 VSLA groups in all participating partner societies.
• Total savings by members of kshs.550,560 in the 33 groups at the end of 2014
• Number trained in the VSLA methodology trained 389 male, 322 female, young male adults 61, and young female adults 24
• 69% increase in the grants received from partners in 2014.
Women and Children Empowerment and Livelihood Improvement (WCELI) Project
It is a project that is an outcome of a joint proposal to Radiohjaipen (Radio Aid). The target beneficiaries are children and women in the Lower parts of Machakos County (Yatta Sub-county) from the handicraft producer groups affiliated to MCU.
Children will benefit through establishment of standard ECD centres and the promotion and establishment of food security and nutrition enterprises by their households. The women will also benefit from use of the ECD centres for adult literacy and as handicraft business hubs.
Project objective and outputs (expected results)
The project is being implemented in partnership with all the relevant stakeholders. At the end of the project period, the project will be handed over to the stakeholders.
Targeted beneficiaries/women groups are three as follows: –
ECD projects built upon existing educational projects and institutions:
Kikuthuko Women Group – There is community land which has been earmarked for a primary school and have proposed it for establishment of the ECD Centre.
Yatta West Women Group – There is a community land that hosts a primary school that has reached class 2. However, due to shortage of classes, the children learn under a tree.
Mekilingi Women Group – There is a community land available earmarked for a school and they have proposed it for the establishment of the ECD centre.