Economic inclusion and empowerment of women
IDA - Initiative for the Development of Africa
(
Non-governmental organization (NGO)
)
#SDGAction33671
Description
NourDign - Nourish and Dignity The goal of the project is to give African women INDEPENDENCE and dignity ', NOT CHARITY. The vehicle identified to achieve the goal is the FOOD PROCESSING, providing women's groups with a comprehensive package that provides a productive and economic result. The training and coaching are the primary essence of “NourDign” and it is not the provision of a machinery the solution to the African problems, but the knowledge transfer. We have identified the women needs in rural areas to improve the life quality through the support offered. The key for the economic empowerment is to create a network of entrepreneurs and not just jobs; this approach allow a stable improvement of the economic and social situation of women and vulnerable groups, with dignity and not charity. The main objective of the project is to promote the processing of vegetable, fruits, seeds, fish, etc., to private domestic settings and create sustainable enterprise for both women and aspiring youth. The project also entails the creation of cooperatives, which aims to educate stakeholders in agriculture industry, agricultural innovation potential, and socio-economic opportunities offered by the concerted actions of the project’s principal partners. Specifically the project aims to present sustainable employment solutions, promotion and development of Micro, Small and Medium Family Business (MSMEs), and the optimization of entrepreneurial capacity of women and young people. Share with women and youth entrepreneurs’ access to domestic and export markets through business partnerships and the support of the central coordination. Contribute to the growth of the sector through the amelioration of food processing processes by the transfer of technology. Training, Monitoring and Evaluation are the keys of the project.
This project is started in Senegal on March the 26th 2015, supported by IDA, ECOWAS, worldwide training institutions, the local government, universities, experts and women associations. The first product to transform is peanut, so every woman can start with a small unit of oilseeds pressure for cold extraction of edible oil and protein meal for animal feed, which has a fast return on investment. Others products could be processed in function of the Country and the market request. Now in Senegal IDA has an incubator center to train the new entrepreneurs and give the best technical support for the project success. The second pilot is in Ivory Coast for the rice processing and the third again in Senegal for the shea nut processing. We are working to start others pilots in Nigeria, Ghana, Guinea Bissau, Rwanda and in Uganda into Nakivale for the Burundian refugees. The system identified, allow generating a solidarity chain because even if the cooperatives get a donation, the commitment is to pay for the machineries and give to others women the opportunity to start e new business. Until now we have developed the project with the contribution of small private funds, to do the second step we need the financial involvement of the local and the international institutions. The project has been introduced to the main worldwide institution.
In Senegal IDA has an incubator center to train the new entrepreneurs and give the best technical support for the project success. The second pilot is in Ivory Coast for the rice processing and the third again in Senegal for the shea nut processing. We are working to start others pilots in Nigeria, Ghana, Guinea Bissau, Rwanda and in Uganda into Nakivale for the Burundian refugees. Development improvement and women empowerment Women’s economic empowerment is also about ensuring increased economic productivity, improved development outcomes for the next generation, and about making institutions and policies more representative. This new project is the first component of a Continental program called Empowerment Program for Women Entrepreneurs and Youth of Africa. The program bringing together dozens of integrated business solutions for the enhancement of agricultural production horticulture, oilseeds, cereals, fruit, fish, meat, etc. Significant reduction of clandestine migration, increasing employment and job opportunities in the origin countries.
• Identify the needs of the population in towns and villages • Need not automatically means demand • Improve the quality of life through the various services offered • Creating a network of entrepreneurs and not just jobs • Development of entrepreneurship with the aim of improving the economic and social situation of women and vulnerable groups, so dignity and not charity • Encourage the process of communication between entrepreneurs Technological Innovation A machine Investments between 5.000 - 45.000€ for 1 – 10 employed workers No bureaucracy for young and women Training and knowhow transfer Services for regions and communities Entrepreneurship development to ameliorate economic and social condition of women and vulnerable groups Creation of a sub regional network of young women entrepreneurs Government Sponsorship to support women and addicted young people Microcredit projects in accordance with Government , banks , communities and people Economic satisfaction for all the actors involved in the project with a central co-ordination, training and knowledge transfer
The project is modular and could be replicate in any part or the world. Starting in Senegal and Ivory Coast, we are working to replicate the project in ECOWAS Countries and in the rest of Africa. We have people and Governament contacts mainly in ECOWAS Countries, but also in the rest of the Continent.
The first part of the project has finished at the end of 2019. Of course COVID-19 has stopped the development in the rest of Africa.
SDGS & Targets
Deliverables & Timeline
Resources mobilized
Partnership Progress
Feedback
Share
Timeline
Entity
Ongoing
Other beneficiaries
The program is conceived to primarily benefit women as a key focus and vulnerable groups across targeted countries of Africa. The basis for identifying vulnerable persons will be their non-viable economic capacity to achieve meaningful socioeconomic progress – meaning that the vulnerable persons are those with little or no capacity to exonerate themselves from vicious cycles of socioeconomic misery. Vulnerable persons may not be having access to means of production i.e. land which may be communal or private; labor which includes necessary know-how or skills; capital in terms of money and equipment; and entrepreneurship which is the skill to convert land, labor and capital into money. This is normally realized when one is able to maximize produce, achieve good quality, use safe storage and packaging, and access markets. Main stakeholder is IDA and arrange differents partnership with local organisations.
More information
Countries
Contact Information
Andrea, NourDign Project (Nourishment and Dignity), as part of the African Youth and women's empowerment program