Market Cooperative



Pilot Light Foundation is pleased to announce   its support of COOVEPAEK  (the Market Cooperative). It was started by 18 women in the city of Kigali, Rwanda who own small businesses that sell agricultural products, such as peanuts, beans, milk and meat. The cooperative was formed to omit the need of the middlemen who transported the products from the farms to the city and directly link the women farmers to the city women who sell their products in the market. This significantly reduces the cost to the city women and allows for a much higher profit margin.

There are approximately 100 dependents (children, orphans that are taken in and older family members) that are supported by the 18 members of the cooperative.  Among these women are Rwandan genocide survivors, Ugandans, Burundians and refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

The goal of the Market Cooperative is to commercialize the agricultural and animal products in Kigali, after buying them directly from the farmers and to divide the products among the members, according to the specialties of their existing market businesses. The group will use 30% of their profits to invest back into the business for transportation costs, rent and other operational costs and will pay 50% of their loan back to Pilot Light Foundation for future use with other cooperatives in Rwanda.

Budget: 14,910.00