On March 4, 2026, KHPC organized the very first My.COOP training seminar for plantain producers in the village of Ndomdjengue. This initiative is part of the socio-economic support measures planned for the Kikot-Mbebe hydroelectric development project. The seminar brought together about twenty producers, whose agricultural activities serve as an essential driver for local development.
Consistent with the My.COOP approach (ILO training modules for agricultural cooperative managers), the training was designed as a participatory workshop, rooted in field practices and focused on concrete exercises inspired by the producers' daily lives. Participants also discussed the challenges faced in their activities: limited access to inputs, marketing constraints, low volumes, and a lack of formal structuring. Working collaboratively, the producers analyzed the obstacles they encounter individually and identified the benefits of formalizing into a cooperative: increased bargaining power, access to credit facilities, collective input procurement, and more profitable group marketing. This session highlighted that cooperation is an economic strategy, not merely an administrative formality.
This first seminar marks the official launch of a series of My.COOP training sessions across villages within the Kikot-Mbebe hydroelectric project's area of influence. In Ndomdjengue, producers did more than just acquire knowledge; they co-constructed the foundations of their future plantain cooperative with a clear, shared vision geared toward professionalization. KHPC thus confirms its commitment to fostering inclusive, sustainable local development based on community capacity building.
