What the Project Was About

The EMIRGE Project (Enabling Market Integration through Rural Group Empowerment) was a USAID-funded initiative aimed at strengthening nascent and informal agricultural producer groups and cooperatives. It focused on helping them integrate into market systems, increase member incomes, and build organizational capacity.

In Kenya, the project worked through the Co-operative Alliance of Kenya (CAK) to support advocacy for a model county co-operative society bill aligned with devolved functions of the cooperative sector.

Purpose and Objectives

• Facilitate market integration of rural producer groups by linking them to services and market opportunities
• Build organizational capacity of emerging cooperatives and producer groups
• Strengthen early-stage cooperation, social capital, and internal governance
• Support policy and legal advocacy at national and county levels

Key Activities

• Technical support and training on governance, business planning, membership roles, and operational management
• Capacity building and mentoring for cooperatives at formative stages
• Feasibility studies, participatory planning, and advisory services to guide cooperative start-up and growth
• Lobby and advocacy support for CAK’s cooperative legislation efforts at the county level

Geographic Scope and Focus

In Kenya, the project focused on supporting CAK and cooperatives through training, advocacy, and organizational development, strengthening service-oriented cooperatives, and helping members understand cooperative principles and business models.

Partnerships and Implementation

• Implemented by Global Communities under a USAID cooperative agreement
• Locally executed in Kenya through collaboration with Co-operative Alliance of Kenya (CAK)
• Technical training and mentorship delivered through local staff and specialists

Strategic Importance

EMIRGE strengthened Kenya’s cooperative ecosystem by supporting CAK’s legislative advocacy, helping early-stage groups transition toward formal cooperative structures, and building capacity for governance, management, and market integration.