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Supported by Agriterra's Acting Now Project in Kajiado County, Kenya
Written by Esther Kalanza, Cooperative Advisor - Acting Now, Kenya
In the arid and semi-arid lands (ASAL) of Kajiado County, Kenya, a group of Maasai women are defying the odds of climate change and poverty by running a successful dairy cooperative that provides them with income, food, and empowerment. The Maasai Kajiado Women Cooperative, established in 2010, has grown to over 3,400 members who deliver their milk to the cooperative. Kajiado County was harshly hit by the drought in 2022-2023, with most pastoralist farmers losing up to 70% of their livestock. Agriterra came across the cooperative in 2023 when the catchment was full of carcasses of dead animals.
Jeroen Kruft, former owner of a company focused on product development in developing countries, is regularly enlisted by Agriterra to provide advice to cooperatives in, for example, Peru, Congo and Tanzania. In September last year, he shared his experiences and insights in marketing with cocoa cooperative Ecakoog in Ivory Coast. "I examined their customer base, their finances and the quality of the cocoa. We visited some plantations, discussed certification, and looked at a marketing strategy."
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