Monrovia — The Economic Development and Training Program (EDTP) has concluded a two-day workshop, which focused on motivating over 30 farmers to work in cooperatives: thereby achieving more from their labor than working individually.
Ms. Luisa Walker, an official of EDTP, said that "a single straw of a broom can't stand on its own unless it is added to other straws, all of which when banded together can hold together and can stand." According to her, that was the reason why the EDTP had gathered those farmers in one place to encourage them to come together and form cooperatives in their respective locals.
"So, as farmers, if we come together under one umbrella, I believe we are going to have enough food to serve Liberians, rather than working individually and not growing enough. So, we thought it wise to have this summit where we have gathered farmers from all parts of Liberia to encourage them to form cooperatives."
Since some of the farmers who attended the two-day summit were already in cooperatives, the EDTP official said their collective capacities would be strengthened by the knowledge that was being shared during this event.
Ms. Walker warned that unless policymakers take farming as something very important for the livelihood of the nation, Liberia is ahead in the wrong direction.
She emphasized that is why the EDTP took serious interest in bringing farmers together; and hoped that farmers, who have yet to form cooperatives can see a reason to begin forming themselves into such groupings.
The farmers hailed from Bong, rural Montserrado, Margibi, Nimba, Lofa and Cape Mount Counties.
Ms. Walker used the occasion to thank Ms. Elizabeth Meatta G. Armstrong, head of EDTP, and other institutions that helped the EDTP organize the meeting, including the Ministry of Agriculture, Majwah Learning Lab, Global Kouture, Phoenix Computer Consultants, LLC, JAZBLU Educational Consultants, Inc., Armstrong & Armstrong Consultants, Inc. and the Cooperative Development Agency (CDA).
The lead lecturers at the summit came from the CDA and one of them, Mr. Harris B. Wennie, Director for Program and Project, praised Ms. Armstrong for organizing the meeting.
Wennie said the two-day summit, which was held under the theme, 'Agriculture Extension and Cooperative Summit', was a partnership work between the CDA and EDTP. He further stated that the backdrop of the summit was to see how best they can improve the learning capacity of smallholder farmers into forming cooperatives; adding, "We think there is strength in numbers. Some of them are farmer groups but we think getting them aware of the advantages of cooperative, they can be able to maximize their productivity and at the end, their communities' food security, income generating activities can be hailed and Liberia can be self-sufficient in food production."
He began his lecture series on the history of how cooperatives came into being, especially outside Liberia in Great Britain, France, etc. Coming to Liberia, he told his audience, the 'Kuu' and 'Susu' were the early history of cooperatives in Liberia. He also lectured on the "Definitional Framework of Cooperative - How, Why Benefits and Challenges of Forming a Cooperative."
Per Mr. Wennie, "Kuu is an activity where a group of people, primarily men, during the farming season organized themselves in a working group on a rotational basis, going from one member to the other until all the members are served. Cooperative activities became formalized by the Liberian government through an Act called 'The Cooperative Societies Act of 1936' by the Legislative."
The CDA official, too, like the EDTP, hoped that farmers would see reasons to get themselves into cooperatives that would be legalized by the government so that partners can start dealing with them.
Another of EDTP's sponsor, Ms. Janice Nancy Gray, said her Global Kouture did sponsor the meeting hoping that at the end, farmers who attended, would leave with a better understanding of agricultural cooperatives; adding: "And those who are trying to get into this sector, would be able to know how to form the sector and those who are already in it can know how to maintain it." Ms. Gray encouraged the farmers to stay the course despite the tough times in the agricultural sector.
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At least three of the farmers, Mr. Harris K. Zawu, Board Chairman for Vassawulu Farmers Cooperative, Barwen Town, Zorzor District, Lofa County; Ms. Lucy M. Wesley, a farmer in Montserrado County; and Mr. Prince D. Peters, Chairman, Fuamah District Multi-purpose Cooperative Society, Bong Mine, Bong County, all thanked Ms. Armstrong for bringing them together. They expressed, separately, how grateful they are for the knowledge that they were able to acquire from the lectures.
Ms. Wesley specifically stated that she has been convinced from the lectures that working as a cooperative was much more helpful than being alone.
