Logos Circle Monrovia, #3

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Date: September 28, 2026

Location: Foya, Lofa County, Liberia

​Event Overview

  • ​Inauguration ceremony for the Board of Directors of the Interpower (TOFА) Multi-Purpose Cooperative Society, held in Foya, Lofa County, Liberia

  • ​Attended by approximately 200 participants, including representatives from the Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Local Government, Cooperative Development Agency (CDA) Registrar General, local authorities, district superintendent, farmers, youth, women’s groups, and newly inducted board members.

  • ​Multiple cooperatives from across Lofa County also present for certification

​Keynote Address: Responsibilities of the New Board

  • ​Board members reminded they are receiving trust and responsibility, not titles

  • ​Core mandate: serve farmers, not personal interests

    • ​Members’ welfare must be the center of all decisions

    • ​Board assets and funds belong to the farmers, not the board

  • ​Success measured by lives improved, not meetings held or titles held

  • ​Five-word challenge issued: Serve, Listen, Protect, Build, Transform

​Cooperative Power and Collective Strength

  • ​Farmers working collectively can negotiate better input prices, access training, and increase bargaining power

  • ​Individual farmers are weak negotiators; institutions attract serious partners and investors

  • ​Unity within the board is essential: healthy debate in the boardroom is fine, but decisions must be implemented as one

​Integrity and Governance

  • ​Board members must separate personal interest from cooperative interest

    • ​Family, friends, and associates receive no preferential treatment

    • ​Opportunities distributed by transparent policy, not favoritism

  • ​Difficult administrative decisions must be made even when painful

    • ​Referenced president’s example of holding close associates accountable

  • ​Board positions are a privilege to serve, not a platform to collect allowances

​Financial Discipline and Oversight

  • ​Board must understand the cooperative’s financial position, not rubber-stamp reports

  • ​Key questions board members must ask:

    1. ​Where did the money come from?

    2. ​Where did it go?

    3. ​What assets does the cooperative own?

    4. ​What loans are outstanding?

    5. ​What investments are generating returns?

    6. ​What controls are in place to prevent losses?

  • ​Asking these questions is not distrust of management; it is good governance

​Agriculture as Business and Value Chain

  • ​Farmers urged to shift mindset from subsistence to agribusiness

  • ​Full value chain highlighted: production, aggregation, storage, processing, packaging, transportation, marketing

  • ​Goal: produce more, waste less, add value, earn more

  • ​Young people and women must be included in cooperative leadership, training, finance, and markets

  • ​Agricultural conference for women and youth planned for Lofa County in 2026

​CDA Certification and Recognition

  • ​Registrar General inducted the Interfawer board into office and presented certificate of registration

    • ​Certificate valid for two years; cooperative must meet standards or risk revocation

  • ​Other cooperatives certificated at the event:

    • ​Local United Blind Cooperative Society

    • ​Women Empowerment Agriculture Cooperative

    • ​Marketu United Farmer Cooperative Society

    • ​Lofa County Aquaculture Cooperative Society

    • ​Kintoma Farmer Cooperative Society

    • ​Kulau District Cooperative Society

    • ​KRA Women’s Cooperative

  • ​Intefawer noted as a pioneering cooperative and historic institution being formally revived

  • ​Alternative Dispute Resolution process used to settle prior internal disputes before certification

​Closing Commitments and Pledges

  • ​District authorities pledged to relay farmers’ commitment to the president; promised a motorcycle to support board activities

  • ​Speaker of the House (currently in the US) committed to visit Foya next month for a follow-up meeting with the community

  • ​Ministry of Agriculture representative announced two mega agricultural station centers operational in Lofa; equipment available for women farmers

  • ​Samukai Sarnor, Founder/CEO of Tropical Agritech Ventures Inc. (TAV), committed to work with CDA and local government on traceability and data infrastructure for farmers

  • ​Women’s Alliance of Lofa County formally structured with county-level leadership across districts

​The event concluded with a networking session and refreshments.

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