Earlier this month our Research and Projects Officer Dr Amanda Benson headed to Malawi as part of our work there with the German Co-operative and Raiffeisen Confederation (DGRV).

Strengthening the movement

The focus of the trip centred around reinvigorating the co-operative movement in Malawi, working with the Malawi Federation of Co-operatives (MAFECO) on the development of member education that's both relevant and accessible across all levels.

A consultation event was held to explore this further, with a range of stakeholders in attendance from across the region, including grassroots primary co-operatives and government representation in the form of the Assistant Co-operative Registrar from the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism.

The day was extremely positive, revealing an appetite for MAFECO to take more of a lead in co-operative education.

Train the trainer

Another key part of the visit was to deliver refresher training for co-operative development officers, with an emphasis on updating training skills and learning new participatory techniques. The hands-on, practical  session encouraged all those attending to reflect on individual learning preferences and identify ways that they could learn from each other to extend their knowledge.

They also considered how they could adapt their sessions for attendees who can't read or write and how they would get the same effect working with people with low literacy levels.

Building on the momentum

The trip was a huge success with all those attending the training commenting on how they found it thought provoking and insightful. It also builds on our previous work across the country which has yielded incredible results for the individuals and communities involved.

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