The I’m a co-operator campaign was at the University of Nairobi on Thursday to train and promote youth leadership and sell the cooperative movement concept to UoN students.

 

Several key speakers including KACC Director, PLO Lumumba spoke at the one day event, which is part of a nation-wide campaign to inform and recruit University students to join cooperatives.

Already, the campaign has spread the cooperative message to University students in Moi, Egerton, Kabarak, KeMU, Daystar University and Africa Nazarene University. They are yet to hold it in Strathmore and K.C.A.

A CIC Insurance Company initiative, the ‘I’m a co-operator’ campaign aims at sensitizing university students on importance of cooperatives through seminars, leadership programs, and talks. CIC has been holding one day seminars at different universities in order to train and promote youth leadership and cooperative movement.

The CIC Insurance ‘I’m a co-operator’ event was held at UoN’s CCU hall and grounds, in partnership with the Cooperative Bank, Edge Consult, KUSCO among other partners.

The morning session catered for lectures by different personalities and organizations. The Ministry of cooperative had a presentation while Edge Consult had a session which catered on leadership training. There was also a talk by Vibe Sacco which is a youth Sacco. The afternoon session comprised of outdoor activities which were conducted by Wycliffe Musembi of Edge Consult.

At the end of the seminar the students were to nominate two students who will take part in a leadership expedition later in the year. It will be a physically challenging experience where contestants will have a chance to hone their leadership skills.

The expedition which is more of a reality television show will be aired in a yet to be named television channel. The contestants will get a chance to intern at International Cooperative Alliance in Switzerland and CIC. All the students who participated in the seminar will go to Rwanda next year where an international cooperative conference will be held. 2012 is also international year of cooperatives as declared by the U.N.

CIC is targeting to recruit 3000 students nationally.The cooperative initiative is divided in three phases. Phase one is leadership catered for in the year 2011. Next year will be phase two with a focus on ecology while phase three is cultural and will be accomplished in 2013.