Technology at the Forefront of What Women in Cooperatives Say Has Transformed Their Lives
Women and girls from cooperatives visited by the UGAMA Supervisory Committee say that the digital skills they acquired through training, together with computers provided under the GUHANGA IBISHYA BIRAMBYE project, implemented with support from Medicus Mundi, have accelerated their development and improved the way they carry out their daily activities.
During the supervisory visit conducted on 20 August 2026 to cooperatives whose capacities have been strengthened by UGAMA through training in cooperative governance, digital technology, financial management, access to banking services, and market access, members expressed their appreciation for how computers and other digital tools have contributed to improving their operations.
In discussions with the UGAMA Supervisory Committee, the cooperative members explained that they did not simply keep the knowledge they acquired without putting it into practice. Instead, they have applied the skills to improve their day-to-day activities and transform the way they work.
They explained that, before receiving the training, many of their activities required considerable time and involved extensive paperwork and manual record-keeping. However, after receiving training in the use of digital tools and equipment, some tasks have become easier, allowing them to work more quickly, efficiently, and accurately, according to Leonire Nyiranzamurambaho, a leader of Abibumbye Gihara Cooperative.
She said:
“I used to think that computers were only for highly educated people. We were given computers and trained on how to use them. Now, even in our cooperative, TUZAMURANE-GIHARA, we have embraced technology, and we have reduced our dependence on paperwork. Our work has become easier; we can accomplish more, produce better results, and work faster.”
Similar experiences were shared by members of ABIBUMBYE-KAMONYI, ITUZE-KIGESE, KOABA-KARAMA, DUHARANIRUBUZIMA-GATWA, and ABATICUMUGAMBI-KABUGA cooperatives, all of which worked with the GUHANGA IBISHYA BIRAMBYE project.
They told UGAMA that a common outcome of the training was their increased ability to create employment and income-generating opportunities, improve their operations, strengthen cooperative planning and record-keeping, identify new opportunities, establish sustainable sources of income, and properly document and track their activities.
According to the cooperative members, these skills have contributed to more transparent, organized, efficient, and accountable governance and management within their cooperatives.
On behalf of UGAMA’s leadership, Canisius NZAYISENGA, Chairperson of the UGAMA Supervisory Committee, encouraged cooperative members to extend the knowledge and skills they acquired beyond their cooperatives and apply them within their households and communities.
He said:
“The knowledge you have acquired should not remain within the cooperative alone. No! You were given these skills so that you can also apply them at home and within your families. Whether in livestock farming, beekeeping, or other activities, whatever you have learned and apply here in the cooperative, take it home and put it into practice there as well.”
The visit was conducted to promote peer learning, share experiences, assess the extent to which the knowledge and skills provided through the training are being applied, document achievements, and identify challenges that still require support.
The overall objective is to enable cooperatives to strengthen their professionalism, organizational capacity, operational efficiency, and ability to achieve sustainable development.