Closing remarks The Cooperative Support Programme (CSP) followed in the slipstream of SPARK’s entrepreneurship development activities, started in 2011. This initial, 5-year Enterprise Development programme allowed us to establish an important network of Business Development Service (BDS) providers, financial institutions, universities, vocational schools and government agencies and increased our understanding of markets and business opportunities in Rwanda. CSP has benefited significantly from these activities, networks and lessons learned. Now we have reached the end of the program, it is safe to say that in many ways CSP has become unique in its approach. Oscar Nzayirambaho, one of the coaches of SPARK-CSP stated; “when CSP began, many of our cooperatives were commercially less developed than those outside of the programme. However, if you visit the cooperatives now you will see that they are so entrepreneurial, so business orientated! This is the impact of our work.” Oscar’s statement shows why CSP has been effective: donor funding has been used for a market-driven approach, which permeated all activities at different levels. It has helped cooperatives to strengthen their competencies meet market demands, thereby becoming viable enterprises that have created over 667 sustainable jobs in agri-production and business. Quality and quantity of the produce has significantly improved and thereby made an important contribution to the availability of nutritious raw and processed food products. The essence of the programme’s market-driven approach is also visible at the level of the coaches that played a key role in achieving the above results. We are proud of Oscar, and we are proud that the programme has been able to empower him to become a coach and cooperative-consultant with a genuine interest to address problems and opportunities cooperatives find on their way, rather than just prefab training programmes. Many of the CSP coaches have grown into independent and now commercially operating consultants, playing their roles in a business-enabling ecosystem in Rwanda’s agricultural sector. CSP set itself apart by facilitating change within a great variety of cooperatives. Not just the organized and successful cooperatives were selected to be part of the programme, also those on the verge of collapsing got a fair shot at success. SPARK believes strongly in proximity coaching; where a coach who knows the area gets to work side-by-side, long-term, with cooperatives to find local solutions for local problems. This means that we get to provide a lot more guidance than just during training sessions and this is exactly what poor performing cooperatives need. Rebuilding trust and solidarity, and creating an entrepreneurial mind-set within a cooperative takes time and understanding; something which we had thanks to our approach. It has been great to see cooperatives attracting members again and even being able to access financing to invest further! SPARK’s challenge remains in mobilising support for cooperatives, agribusiness as well as business support and financial services to help them grow and generate employment and income for young women and men in urban and rural areas of Rwanda. 50
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