The project will support capacity-building activities of member organizations in several countries. This support will contribute to improved service delivery by member organizations to their primary membership positively impacting their business performance and operations. This will ultimately ensure that individual members of primary co-operatives are able to derive benefits and services which contribute to poverty reduction. Such benefits and services include increased and stable household incomes, improved access to health and education services and improved shelter. Strengthening of the partner organisation and capacity building Through the support ICA Regional office for Africa increases its capacity to enhance its role and mandate as a regional voice for the cooperative movement and to provide services required by its member organisations. This includes capacity to interact, exchange and network in various relevant fora which discuss co-operative and related issues at the regional level. Further the capacity to advocate by generating and disseminating data and new knowledge through studies and research is strengthened. Through activities like members’ forum and service delivery ICA Africa will be able to build up its membership, recruit new members and increase its relevance toward the cooperative movement and achieve a higher level of sustainability for its operations. Budget 1 MSEK (2009)

The project purposes are: 1. To consolidate the gains of earlier project interventions in Cambodia, Laos PDR. 2. To further continue appropriate project interventions aimed at market connectivity in Cambodia and Laos PDR to facilitate a process of creation and promotion of a self sustainable model of agricultural cooperatives in these countries. 3. To replicate the project approach and strategy in Afghanistan agricultural cooperatives. The expected results are: A. Cambodia 1. Value addition through agri-processing and marketing in target coops achieved 2. Internal credit/microfinance in target women coops introduced 3. Cooperative union at secondary and tertiary level for networking established. 4. Two new agricultural cooperatives for project interventions in the areas of business development planning, resource mobilization, improved agricultural activity, financial management, improved working systems introduced. 5. Comprehensive cooperative law found in place in the Decree on cooperatives 6. Policy to finance agricultural cooperatives by Agriculture Bank formulated. 7. Self-help groups of the poor men & women organised 8. Micro-finance and internal credit in target women coops introduced. 9. Membership and resources of the coops increased. B. Laos PDR 1. Decree on coops by the government enforced 2. Target groups transformed into agricultural cooperatives by adopting new be laws in accordance with Decree on coops 3. Policy to finance target groups by Agriculture Development Bank formulated 4. Project intervention regarding business development planning, improved agricultural productivity, financial management, development of infra structure, improved working methods in two newly adopted target groups introduced. C. Afghanistan 1. An efficient Training Institute in terms of updated training programmes, trained trainers and optimum infrastructure established. 2. 5 agricultural cooperatives as model cooperatives through project interventions for business development, planning, infrastructure development, improved working methods, improved agriculture productivity, financial management developed. 3. New training programmes and their curriculum developed. 4. Board members, managers of target cooperatives and concerned government officials trained 5. Self help groups of the poor organized. 6. The government motivated and influenced for an early enforcement of cooperative law 7. Bye laws and rules of business by target coops introduced in time with new cooperative law