The impact of the CLUSA credit programme on its members in chief Moono's area of Mumbwa District

This study aimed at investigating the impact of the Cooperative League of the United States of America (CLUSA) credit programme on its members in Chief Moono's area of Mumbwa district. The programme offered loans to farmers to grow various types of crops. The researcher collected primary data through a questionnaire administered to CLUSA group members and in-depth interviews to key informants. The information collected was on whether the respondents benefited from the programme, problems faced and strengths and weaknesses of the programme. The researcher also collected secondary data from Lusaka based institutions. This involved perusing through books, journals and research reports to identify research gaps on the subject. The study found that the farmers benefited from the programme in that they both acquired new skills in running small-scale businesses and market farm produce in a profitable way.Members also benefited through employment created and earned money or in kind for working on behalf of their groups. The members diversified crop production with most
farmers growing crops that they had not grown before. In particular, women grew cash
crops such as soya beans, paprika and sunflower, which were traditionally a male domain. Among the crops that the farmers grew before joining the programme such as maize and sunflower, there was a substantial increase in production and consequently resulting in reduction in household hunger.
However, the programme did not consider gender as an issue of concern. CLUSA neither
had a gender policy nor included gender training in its programme. As a result, women were not adequately represented in decision-making and fewer women than men obtained loans and accessed employment opportunities in the programme.