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Abstract
In spite of professional and political support for cooperatives in West Africa, their
record of accomplishments is very spotty. Advocates of cooperatives have been blamed
for not tailoring the movement to the needs, social practices, and orientations of traditional
societies. In this paper, an attempt is made to show how indigenous groups can
be organized to improve the coordination of traditional groups, local governments,
financial institutions, and aid donors. Village cooperatives, called "Groupement Villageois,"
in southern Senegal were allowed to organize their own business affairs. Credit was
provided to the cooperative group by the development agency. Cooperative activities
were structured around cultural norms, village traditions, and production systems,
rather than merely Rochdale principles. The village chief and elders were responsible
for linkages and contacts with external entities. The whole village, and not just individual
members, was responsible for credit, marketing, and distribution. After two years of
operation, cooperative repayment of credit funds averaged 90 percent. Input use of
food crops had increased and member contributions to cooperative equity were on the
rise. Applications of this cooperative model were expanding rapidly throughout the
region.