Why Co-operation Built the Movement, and Why Competition
is Breaking It
When we talk about the co-operative movement today, it is easy to forget where it began. But the story of the very first co-operators is not just an interesting piece of history, it is a mirror held up to us, showing what we have become… and what we could return to.
The famous Rochdale Pioneers of 1844 were not powerful.
They were not wealthy.
They were not political kingpins.
They were 28 ordinary workers, weavers, tailors, shoemakers, struggling through hardship and injustice.
They didn’t gather to fight for positions or titles. They gathered because they wanted one thing which was to make their lives better.
Their strategy was simple and powerful, co-operation.
No one asked,
“Who will be chairman?”
“Who is the big man here?”
“Which clan is stronger?”
Instead, they asked,
“What do we need? Flour, sugar, candles.”
And they pooled the little they had to open a small community shop.
Now imagine if those pioneers behaved like some of our modern-day co-operative members:
“If I’m not chairman, I’m leaving!”“My clan must dominate this SACCO.”
“Why should he/she be treasurer? His people are few here.”
Let’s be honest, there would be no co-operative movement today.
You simply cannot build a system meant to unite people using the tools of division.
Many co-operatives today are not collapsing because the business model is weak.
They are collapsing because our mindset has drifted far from co-operation.
What are we doing?
Competing instead of co-operatingFighting for positions instead of progress
Splitting into factions instead of building unity
And what does competition do?
Competition → creates suspicion
Suspicion → creates factions
Factions → create paralysis
Paralysis → kills cooperatives
The founders of the co-operative movement did not succeed because they were the strongest.
They succeeded because they were the most united.
They used the language of teamwork:
“Let us try this.”“Let us discuss that.”
Their secret was simple:
You can go fast alone, but you can only go far together.
The world`s co-operative movement is powerful.
We have:
Experience
A rich legacy...
Let’s shift the mindset,
Stop competing for titles ... Start competing for ideas.Stop fighting for positions ... Start fighting for progress.
Let leaders see members as equals, Let members see leaders as partners.
It is time to return to the spirit that built this movement:
Co-operation, not competition.
When we compete against each other, we lose together.
When we co-operate with each other, we rise together.
And honestly, if the founders built a global movement with flour and candles,
Let us imagine what we can build today with all the knowledge, resources, and technology around us.
Hey, i am wairimu mwangi,
Hi, I am Milfred Wairimu Mwangi a researcher, trainer, strategist, and a passionate believer in the power of people coming together.
I currently work with Co-operatives in Kenya, where my work revolves around strengthening co-operatives, building leadership capacity, nurturing governance structures, and helping communities grow through the cooperative model, a journey that has deepened my love for organizational development, member empowerment, and sustainable co-operative growth.
I believe the co-operative movement is one of the most powerful tools we have for transforming lives in the world. When people unite, share ideas, and work with integrity, they create possibilities far greater than anything they could achieve alone.
This blog is where I share insights, stories, and lessons from the field.
Welcome to my world of co-operation, growth, and community development.
Let’s learn together. Let’s grow together.
