In the heart of Rwanda’s Ruhango and Kamonyi districts, something remarkable is taking root. Cooperative enterprise, such as the Dufashanye and Ruhango Cassava Cooperatives are not only cultivating crops, they’re cultivating opportunity.

Funded by Not For Sale in Rwanda, these agricultural cooperatives received extensive training and long-term business development support through donations that make a difference. The result? Tangible growth that’s changing lives.

Land has been purchased to scale pineapple and cassava production. Members of the community have grown their savings. And crucially, training in financial literacy and operations has equipped communities with the tools to thrive sustainably.

Why cooperative enterprise matters in Rwanda

In regions where indigenous people face historic marginalization, cooperative business models flip the script. These co-ops are owned and operated by local people, ensuring profits stay within the community and development is directed by those who live it every day.

When indigenous families can grow what they need, sell what they produce, and reinvest what they earn, it creates a self-reinforcing cycle of resilience.

That’s the power of people, planet, and enterprise in action.

How businesses can help cooperative enterprise

The transformation we’re seeing in Rwanda isn’t isolated, and it isn’t finished. Businesses looking to make a real impact in cooperative enterprise can help scale this success. Whether through donations, corporate partnerships to cooperative enterprises, or employee giving programs, there are powerful ways to stand with communities creating change from the ground up.

At Not For Sale, we don’t just support social enterprises, we help seed and grow them. When you give, you’re not offering charity alone, you’re investing in systems that restore dignity, reduce vulnerability, and break cycles of exploitation.

Let’s build the future together through corporate partnerships

Donate today and be part of a movement that empowers indigenous communities not just to survive, but to lead.

While Not For Sale seed funds, trains, and partners with a range of enterprises – not all formally co-ops – we actively support businesses that align with cooperative principles. Find out more about what is a cooperative and why they matter.