ACTIVITIES IN PREPARATION FOR COOPERATIVE REGISTRATION

The following points highlight the main activities conducted to discuss the cooperative idea and goals with the BCSWE, their respective communities and traditional leadership. These activities followed from earlier meetings (May-July 2013) with the BCSWE[1] that were conducted during the preparation of the concept note, and which were followed by visits to Cooperatives Registry Office and information gathering on registration requirements that was conducted by Amal Adam (Project Volunteer) .

1.       Each BCWSE (Mona Mursal for Mirri, and Khadiga Omar for Aldort/Laggori[2]) contacted their community Shiekh to inform them about the idea.

2.       Individual meetings between Gada Kadoda (for BC) with Shiekh Ibrahim Bandas (for Mirri) and Mr. Hasan Abushouk (for Aldorot/Laggori) to discuss project goals, support available, and the steps and information required to register the cooperative.

3.       Leaders, together with the BCSWE, informed and mobilised their respective communities.

4.       Two community meetings (attended by Gada and Amal Adam) were held as follows:

                                 i.            Meeting with Mirri community (Attendance = 44) was held at Mirri Association (Alhaj Yousif, Khartoum North) on Saturday 14^th September from 4 to 6pm.

                               ii.            Meeting with Aldorot/Laggori community (Attendance = 97) was held at Awtar Algubal [3]Society for Culture and Art (Ombadda, Omdurman) on Saturday 21^st September from 5 to 7pm.

5.       Tasks were allocated at the community meetings to collect the information (cooperative membership list and their telephone number) that should accompany the official registration request letter. For logistics reasons, it was decided that the minimum number of 100 members (stated by the cooperative law for 1995) will be targeted. The rules for candidate selection were agreed with the communities as follows:

                                 i.            To select 48 members in addition to their 2 solar engineers in Phase I (2009 – 2011) of the solar electrification project (50 members each community).

                               ii.            To satisfy membership requirements stated by authorities (18 years or age or older, and sane).

                              iii.            To ensure that the female/male ratio in the total membership is equal to 7/3.

                             iv.            Each community was free to establish own additional selection criteria to the above three general rules.

6.       Membership listings were submitted by the two representatives selected to coordinate the information gathering task in (5) on 27^th September (Aldorot/Laggori) and 29^th September (Mirri).

7.       Lists were revised by Amal and Gada with community representatives, and were finalised on 29^th September (Aldorot/Laggori) and 5^th October (Mirri).

8.       Registration request and membership list was submitted (by Amal & Gada) to Cooperatives Management Authorities on 6^th October 2013. Date of General Assembly Meeting was set for 28^th October.

9.       Meetings with Uz. Suliman (Omdurman cooperatives authorities) on 8^th October (Amal), and Dr. Rugaia Abdelgader (cooperatives training unit in Khartoum) on 10^th October (Gada), to gather information on  proceedings, requirements and expected outputs of general assembly, as well as training and support expected from cooperatives authorities.

10.   Meeting with community representatives on 12^th October to update communities on progress towards registration and to prepare for the general assembly meeting. Preparatory tasks includes the following:

                                 i.            Sharing progress information and date of registration general assembly meeting with cooperative members;

                               ii.            Organising transportation of cooperative members to/from meeting venue;

                              iii.            Raising funds to cover meeting and registration expenses.

A final (pre-registration) meeting for follow-up on preparatory tasks (i-iii) is set for Thursday 23^rd October 2013.

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[1] Mona Mursal and Khadiga Omar attended a second training at BC during September 2012 to March 2013, three years after the first training in 2009

[2] Most residents of Aldorot village moved to Laggori area (their kinship and is nearer to Kadugli).

[3] The name of the cultural society means literary “The Mountains Strings”. Their premises also serve as the Laggori community congregation space.