As part of the major activities under the COCODEP Project, the My.Coop training has already set the tone for what this five-year initiative can achieve. Thirty cooperative leaders in Ghana's Aowin Municipality walked into a training room carrying years of unresolved governance challenges. Three days later, they walked out with new knowledge, renewed confidence, and concrete plans to reshape their cooperatives, signalling a powerful and promising start to the project.
Before attending the My.Coop training, Genevieve Sule, Cooperative Manager of Boinso Adjoum Ye Adwunadi Cooperative, shared a candid admission:
"All our meetings were just to pay dues, and as such, most members did not show up. We didn't know there were vital skills to learn to enhance the efficiency and effective management of the day-to-day operations of the cooperative."
It was a quiet but telling sign of a deeper challenge, shared by cooperatives across the cocoa-farming communities of Ghana's Western North Region.
Mathew, President of Kwamokrom Cooperative, described a similar reality:
"The principles of the cooperative were not quite defined, which affected management because we didn't have defined roles set for members and leaders for the daily operations of the cooperative."
Without clear governance structures, even committed leaders struggled to steer their organisations effectively.
These were not isolated stories. They reflected the shared reality of five cocoa cooperatives in the Aowin Municipality, cooperatives that, despite the hard work of their members, lacked the leadership and management tools needed to unlock their full potential. That is the gap Agriterra set out to close.
A Project Built for Lasting Change
The Cooperative for Community Development (COCODEP) Project is a five-year initiative (October 2025 to September 2030), funded by Delicia Ltd and implemented by Agriterra. Rooted in the Aowin Municipality, it targets 3,000 smallholder cocoa farmers, with a mission to strengthen cooperative governance, promote sustainable farming, reduce child labour, and increase household incomes through market access and diversified livelihoods.
From the outset, Agriterra understood that none of these goals could be achieved without one critical ingredient: well-trained cooperative leadership. A scoping exercise assessed ten cooperatives in the municipality, and five were selected for targeted capacity development. One of the major interventions for these cooperatives was the My.Coop training, a globally recognised cooperative management programme covering governance, financial management, member engagement, and business planning.
Four Days That Made a Difference
Between 23rd and 26th March 2026, thirty executive members, six from each of the five cooperatives, gathered for the My.Coop training facilitated by Agriterra. The cooperatives represented were:
- Kramokrom Co-operative Cocoa Farming and Marketing Society Ltd
- Enchi Nyankamam Adwenpa Women Co-operative Cocoa Farming and Marketing Society Ltd
- Boinso Adjoum Ye Adwumadi Co-operative Cocoa Farmers and Marketing Society Ltd
- Domeabra Biakoye Co-operative Cocoa Farmers and Marketing Society Ltd
- Acquai-Allah Co-operative Cocoa Farmers and Marketing Society Limited
Each cooperative left with a concrete action plan, a roadmap for applying what they had learned once back in their communities.
The Shift: Leaders Who Now Know Their Power
The transformation was immediate and personal. Genevieve Sule described a complete re-understanding of her role:
"I learned a lot about my role as a manager of the cooperative. Now I know I have a lot more to do than just following up for dues."
She left with a commitment not only to apply her new knowledge but also to share it:
"As I go, I will train my cooperative to learn how the basic fundamentals of the cooperative will support member farmers and the community as a whole," Genevieve shared with a smile.
For Mathew, the revelation came through the governance organogram, a simple but powerful tool that clarified the communication flow and accountability structures within his cooperative.
"It helped us understand the roles each member plays. As I go back, I will train my members to understand their roles and how we can use this knowledge to improve our cooperative."
"I want to say thank you to the Agriterra and Delicia team for coming up with this noble project to support cocoa farmers in the Aowin Municipality. I have high hopes this will bring a great impact to us cocoa farmers and also improve the livelihoods of the communities as a whole. We pray for the successful execution of this project."
Mathew, President, Kwamokrom Cooperative
What This Means for Aowin and Beyond
The ripple effect of this training is already taking shape. Each leader will pass their new skills on to their members, strengthening governance, improving incomes, and opening doors to better market opportunities. As cooperatives grow stronger, households grow more secure, and children can stay in school where they belong.
As Genevieve reminded us, “Children are the future leaders, and if they are well educated, it supports the entire community.”
With support from Delicia Ltd and Agriterra’s continued guidance, the five Aowin cooperatives now have the leadership strength to turn this early momentum into lasting progress for their 3,000 farmers, their families, and the wider community.
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