16th October 2024

Wazalendo Savings and Credit Cooperative Society(WSACCO) has been commended for demonstrating the power of the cooperatives business model in equitable wealth creation and building resilient communities through focusing on  the welfare of its members and strategic community engagements. The remarks were done by the Chairperson of Dikwata SACCOS  Maj Gen Hendrick Rakgantswana. Dikwata SACCO is Military Savings and Cooperative Society for Botwana’s Defence Forces.

The delegation that comprised of ten members drawn from the SACCO’s BoD and management was led by the Chief Executive Officer of Botswana Savings and Credit Cooperatives Associations (BOSCCA), Ms Kefilwe  Masalila was hosted yesterday 15th October 2024 at Wazalendo SACCO Headquarters in Kiwatule.

Maj Gen Rakgantswana said  that their visit to Wazalendo SACCO was to benchmark on the best practices in governance, general operations, regulation, and ICT usage . He added that the visit was facilitated by their Union (BOSCCA) through Uganda’s Union – Uagnda Cooperatives Savings and Credit Union( UCSCU).

“As a young  SACCO, we are here to learn from Wazalendo SACCO.  Being a sister Military Institution, we share common goals and challenges, which  I believe after this vital interaction, we shall be able to address. We are going to tailor the  knowledge acquired to suit our needs so as to improve service delivery, ” said Gen Rakgantswana.

Ms. Kefilwe the CEO BOSCCA, said that Dikwata SACCO came to visit Wazalendo to understand the factors behind it’s success story so as to help the  Botswana Defence Forces get the best for their members as they  transition from an association to a SACCO.

The Chief Executive Officer of Uganda Cooperative Savings and Credit Union (UCSCU) Dr Sylvester Ndiroramukama applauded Wazalendo SACCO for carrying the Uganda high by being among the top seven fastest growing SACCOs in African Continent. ” The prime  objective of every SACCO is to address issues regarding their members’ welfare.  Wazalendo SACCO has done well in that aspect by continuing to improve the lives of its members and supporting the communities,” Dr Sylvester emphasized.

He further noted that the cooperatives’ movement everywhere in the world needs  strong SACCOs because the unions are nothing without strong SACCOs that patronize their Unions.

The vice chairman of the Board of Directors Wazalendo SACCO, Lt Col Allan Kitanda, who spoke on behalf of  the Chairman Lt Gen Sam Kavuma, appreciated  the Dikwata leadership for choosing Wazalendo as the best place to visit and Learn and to  promote the principle of cooperation amongst the coperators. “I believe a request  to host Dikwata SACCO is  resulting from the great strides Wazalendo SACCO has made in promoting the welfare of it’s members and supporting the cooperatives movement in Uganda” Said the Vice C/Man  WSACCO.

The Chief Executive Officer of W SACCO  Col Joseph Freddy Onata, who made a presentation to the visiting delegation, stated that  there is a lot the sister Military SACCOs can learn from each other in terms of growth strategies and best practices.

Onata noted that hosting Botwana Defense Forces SACCO is also a way of giving back to Botswana because Botswana was one of the countries that UPDF went for benchmarking in 2003 prior to the establishment of Wazalendo SACCO in 2005. “While the leaders of Dikwata SACCO are here to learn, they  are also here to validate whether the knowledge  that our research team acquired from Botswana was put to good use,” said  Col Onata.  He also pledged continuous engagements and partnerships with other progressive SACCOs and UCSCU so as to create resilient communities, build strong SACCOS, and help people improve their livelihood.

The delegation from Dikwata SACCO included Brig Gen Malebogo Kgaswanyane BOD member,  the CEO, Col Ditoit Ronnie Ramhitshana, and other members of the BOD and Management.

Present from Wazalendo SACCO were Col Dan Tiziahwayo, the Board Secretary, Direcctor Finance and Administration, Lt Col Benon Kato, Director Operations Mr. William Atalyeba and other Heads of Department.

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Prepared by;

Charity Namanya

Public Relations  Manager- WSACCO