To celebrate International Development Week (February 4–10), our team hit the road to visit several of our network’s member institutions.
Our team with Marylin Baril and Christian Mercier from UV Assurance.
We called it the “A cooperative world is a better world!” tour, and our goal was simple: to meet the employees of our member institutions and bring them up to speed on SOCODEVI’s mission or refresh their memories. We also took the chance to talk about how cooperative values are at the heart of what SOCODEVI does, and that intercooperation is our most powerful tool for improving living conditions for thousands of families around the world.
It’s safe to say that we achieved this goal, given the positive reception we got from many of our member institutions! All in all, we spread the word to nearly 200 employees from UV Insurance, Beneva, the Confédération québécoise des coopératives d’habitation, Sollio Cooperative Group, the Coopérative funéraire des Deux Rives and the Fédération des coopératives funéraires du Québec.
A very special guest
We owe much of the success of our tour to Valentine Assoh Brou, a cocoa farmer with the Farmers Hope (FAHO) cooperative in Côte d’Ivoire, which received support from SOCODEVI. Valentine came all the way to Quebec from Côte d’Ivoire to tell a powerful story about the concrete impact that SOCODEVI has had on her life and the members of her community.
“What makes a woman a leader? It’s when she is able to guide, inspire and persuade others to achieve her goals. Because of the training I’ve received from SOCODEVI, I love myself just the way I am. I can speak with confidence on behalf of every woman involved in co-ops in Côte d’Ivoire. If they could’ve, they would’ve all been here today to thank you for your help, because it has changed our lives.”
– Valentine Assoh Brou
For those who got to know Valentine during International Development Week, the conversations and emotional moments they had will be etched in their memory for a long time to come. A huge thank-you to Valentine for braving the cold Canadian winter to share her inspiring story!
About International Development Week
Since 1991, International Development Week has been held annually in the first week of February. This nationwide campaign aims to recognize and celebrate Canadians’ global contributions to building a fairer and more inclusive and prosperous world.
From the very beginning, SOCODEVI has never missed an opportunity to celebrate International Development Week and highlight the important role of intercooperation in international development.
Valentine with Cathy Fraser, director of Sollio Groupe Coopératif and SOCODEVI. Cathy and Valentine participated together in SOCODEVI’s 2022 women’s leadership program.