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The next impact level – The potential of Heifer Cooperatives
17 April 2010. The women gathered in a shop in Girouna, Chitwan have been with Heifer for a long time. The projects have been completed, but they still continue to build on the foundations that Heifer help lay years ago. Continuing to save monthly and borrow from the fund for necessities and ventures these families were looking for a way to make a bigger difference and reach more people. The Values Based Cooperative Promotion Pilot Project addresses their desires to be influential and impact wider.
The Shantikunja Social Entrepreneur Women Cooperative Limited in Girouna has 332 member families. Based on the values of social entrepreneurship they have already opened a consumer shop that provides consumer goods and a compost fertilizer dealership. Most of the produce sold in the shop, the chick-peas, dried red chilies, lentils and the cucumber all have been produced locally. Steve Denne talked to the members of the executive committee about the future prospects of the cooperative. “Most of the farmers are already growing banana and papayas. We are planning sell them in large quantities through the cooperative so the farmers can get a good price,” says Sharda Poudyal. Many more such plans involving goats for meat purpose, potatoes and organic vegetables are in the pipeline.
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