Story by Colette Musanyera

ZIMBABWE through the Ministry of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development, is set to host the African Confederation of Co-operative Savings and Credit Associations (ACCOSCA) 2023, from the 15th to the 18th of March in Victoria Falls.

A brainchild of the ACCOSCA, which is a Pan African organisation with its secretariat based in Nairobi, Kenya, the forum aims to support efforts towards accelerating the growth of SACCOS in the region.

Delegates from countries which include the USA, Canada, Eswatini, Ghana, Uganda, Botswana, Zambia and Kenya are set to participate in the three-day workshop.

Deputy Minister of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprise Development Jennifer Mhlanga said, ‘‘The initiative is meant to strengthen the Regional Blocks, and build capacity among the Cooperative leaders through specialized technical programs that promote high skills and professionalism.

“According to the International Labour Organization, ILO, the establishment and growth of cooperatives should be regarded as one of the important instruments for economic, social and cultural development as well as human advancement in developing countries. To date, Zimbabwe has registered more than 1 300 work based and community-based Savings and Credit Cooperatives (SACCOs) with a total membership of over sixty-one thousand.’’

The Forum will be held under the theme ‘Financial Cooperatives Harnessing Resource to Promote Economic Resilience in Communities’ and it is set to incorporate technical workshops and panel discussions led by seasoned speakers and facilitators who are expert practitioners in the sector, drawn from across the globe.