Masankho telling a story
Masankho Banda, an international consultant in strategic leadership revealed the power of saying ‘Inde’ (which means ‘Yes’) to Mtendere cooperative during a workshop organized by Kusamala. The workshop was held in a catholic church hall at Kangóma trading centre from the 17th – 18th of April, 2013. Kusamala has been working with Mtendere cooperative since 2010. It is through this partnership that Kusamala and cooperative members identified lack of a unified vision as a main challenge facing Mtendere cooperative. Therefore, Kusamala organized this workshop so that Masankho Banda could lead the cooperative through the process of formulating a vision and strategies which could help the organization realize its full potential.
Throughout the workshop, what transpired is the word Inde (Yes). “Saying yes unlocks the potential that is untapped,” says Masankho. “Its time every member of Mtendere starts saying ‘yes, I am human, yes, to take up space without apology and yes, my thoughts and words matter.'”
Masankho is also an amazing artist. With his artistic skills, he spiced the whole workshop and the participants came up with a vision statement. There was dance, traditional music and drum beats as well as stories of our land.
At the end of the training, Mtendere members came up with this vision:
In Chichewa
Chairman of the cooperative
Mtendere Cooperative likhale bungwe lotsogola potukula miyoyo ya alimi pa chuma ndi chakudya popitiliza kupanga ulimi wa mthilira and wa mvula. Tidzilima kwambiri soya, mtedza, chimanga ndi mbeu zina zosiyanasiyana kuphatikizanso ulimi wa ziweto.
In English
Mtendere Cooperative shall be a leading organization in advancing the lives of farmers on food security and economic development through promoting irrigation and rain fed agriculture focusing on soya, ground nuts and maize as well as different other crops and promoting livestock production.
The members of the Mtendere are very thankful and are forecasting prosperity in the cooperative. They have called onto one another’s commitment toward achieving the common goal. Commenting of the workshop, the club chairman said quoting bible scripture “where there is no vision, people perish (Proverbs 29.18). Mtendere has not progressed to its full potential in the last 13 years because it had no vision. But from today onwards, we are a changed Mtendere.”
Members in a group photo
