DGRV Kenya, on 12th June 2024 opened its doors to a group of twelve like-minded females, who aspire to grow in leadership in the cooperative arena in Kenya. We rolled out the “Female leaders Mentorship programme for co-operatives – FLEP Coop initiative”
In today’s dynamic and interconnected world, the role of cooperative organizations is more critical than ever. These organizations, built on principles of shared ownership, democratic governance, and collective benefit, offer a unique model for sustainable development. However, to truly realize their potential, it is essential that leadership within cooperatives reflects the diversity of the communities they serve.
This includes fostering the growth and development of women in leadership roles. To address this need, a mentorship program dedicated to women aspiring for cooperative leadership can be transformative. It is for this reasons DGRV Kenya has taken the opportunity to create a mentorship platform that encourages women to take up more leadership position.
The day was set apart to give the mentees the opportunity to meet the DGRV Kenya team as well as one another. As we all embark on this journey of mentorship from Sept 2024 to Dec 2025. The team of twelve aspiring female Co-operative leaders spent the 2 days learning about the DGRV as an organization, its work in Germany and in the partner development countries around the Globe and diving deep into the objectives of FLEP-Coop.
A mentorship program for women aspiring for cooperative leadership is not just an investment in individuals but in the future of the cooperative movement. By fostering the growth of women leaders, cooperatives can become more inclusive, innovative, and effective in addressing the needs of their members. This program has the potential to transform lives, strengthen communities, and set a precedent for gender equity in leadership across all sectors. 
A well-structured mentorship program can play a pivotal role in preparing women for leadership roles in cooperatives. This is why we found it necessary for the mentees to meet first and already start building a relationship that will make their mentorship program interactive as well as effective. This is by already creating a conducive environment allowing them to warm up to one another before they meet with their mentors.
On the day there were several activities, not only learning, but this also included lengthy introduction to one another, with an objective by the end of the day to get to know at least two people. This was followed by focus group discussion on the FLEP COOP objective, to allow the mentee to internalize and understand them better as this is the backbone of the entire program.
Yes! And of course, there was food and more interactions and not blowing our own trumpet. We started with twelve strangers and the day ended with twelve organized mentees. Who were eagerly waiting to meet their mentors. Stay tuned for more! 