By P, KNA
Nyanza residents have been urged to embrace the cooperative movement in order to spur development in the region.
According to an Assistant Commissioner for cooperatives, Peter Okul, the region’s performance in the sector has been dismal, despite the area having embraced cooperatives long before other regions.
Speaking during a transformative empowerment training for women leaders at a Bondo hotel, Okul said that the region contributes just one percent of the country’s cooperatives’ turn over.
“If you look at shares in terms of turn over, this region contributes just one to two percent of the total turnover in cooperatives in the republic,” said the Assistant Commissioner during the training that was organized by the Eliud Owalo Foundation.
Okul said there was need for more sensitization and capacity building forums in the region that he added, had a lot of potential.
He hailed the Eliud Owalo Foundation for its efforts in building the capacity of women and youth in various sectors such as agriculture, health and sports and urged other organisations to follow suit.
Rosemary Ngesa, Chairperson of Bondo Women Enterprises SACCO, hailed the training as an eye opener to the women leaders present, drawn from 65 groups across Siaya county.
When you empower a woman in any society, you are actually developing that society” said Ngesa.
A participant, Serfine Atieno appreciated the program, adding that it had positively impacted their financial independence.
