Women milk cooperative established by Candlelight in Suuqsade had received assistance and presented their unique modality of working for the first time in Somaliland.
Candlelight provided and supported milk preservation tool kits consisted milk cans of stainless containers and two refrigerators working solar system to thirty members in two Women milk groups from milk producers/Cooperative in Suuqsade Village, Sheikh District. This support was part of the activities of the two year (2015-2016) project on enhancement food security and socioeconomic wellbeing of the target communities in Somaliland funded by Development Fund, Norway and implemented by Candlelight.
The purpose of these milk preservation tool kits was to strength women’s livelihoods as well as creating income generation activities (IGAs)., This supported input is expecting to have solution to the existing constrains on milk quality and hygiene to preserve longer time more than 24 hours. Previously, women milk business was based on daily bases milk products immediately transporting to markets within 8 hours, without no longer keeping its quality. Finally, the project had achieved to save time and money from milk preservation for those 30 poor targeted female headed households .
The distribution event for the milk preservation assistance was attended by the vice mayor of Sheikh Mr. Abdi Artan and Mr. Mohamed Saed Deria a member Sheikh council , they paid a visit to where installed the two refrigerators working solar system. Finally, Mr. Artan and Deria hand overs all the assistances to milk cooperative. This cooperative was established in March, 2016. The modality of women milk cooperative working is unique and is the only one of its kind in Somaliland.
The women milk cooperative called TAWFIIQ, the cooperative consist in two women groups, who lives in the village dwellings , Group “A “ for North and Group “B” for South, of which each group consist of 15 members living in a same vicinity areas..
- Modality of working of the group as agreed on daily bases, Each member of the 15 members of group must provide daily 1 or 3 liter of milk to first member in the group, Second day to the second person, Until the all members covered and got 15 or 45 litres for one day depends milk production seasonality, And starts again the second round from first to end.
- Each group selected three leadership positions, Chairperson, Milk Secretariat and Daily Milk Collector and Checker, in order to control milk quality from provider and receiver to milk minimize risks.
Members of the women milk cooperative, and Mr. Artan Deputy Mayor of Sheikh town covering consisted milk cans of stainless containers and refrigerators. |
Giving how to use induction to one of cooperative milk women, and one of women milk members Mrs Amina using unhygienic plastic containers, the previous method. |