Cooperatives and Poverty Reduction in West Africa

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Co-operatives and Poverty Reduction in West
Africa

• Ada Souleymane KIBORA
• ICA Regional Director
• For West Africa

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• CONTENT
• Presentation of West Africa
• ICAROWA and its Priorities
• Presentation of the Poverty Reduction
  Programme in Co-operatives in West Africa
• Rationale and Beneficiaries
• Objectives
• Two case studies
• Results and Impact

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West Africa at a Glance

• 16 countries including 8 Sahelian countries
• Desertification , deforestation, food insecurity
  for 17 millions people living in the Sahel
• Poverty8 countries below 1/capita/day
• 10 millions Farmers in the Sahel victims of
  Northern Countries subsidies for cotton
• 221 millions people 2000, more than 443 millions
  in 2025

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• Priorities  
• Professionalisation of co-operatives,
• Emergence and Institutional consolidation,
• Development of Human Resources,
• Promotion of Gender and Poverty Reduction in
  Co-operatives,
• Support to political and legislative reforms,
• Inter-co-operative Exchanges.

• Presentation OF ICAROWA
• Light organisation representing and providing
  support to coop.
• 2 senior staff and 1 support staff
• 14 co-operatives 2 NGOs affiliated or partners 
  
• Agricultural, consumer, savings and credit,
  health, sectors as well as promotion.
• Partners Norges Vel, CTA, SCC, BIT, SOCODEVI

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The Poverty Reduction Programme in Primary
Co-operatives (PLCP/CB) Implemented since
1994, for women, Co-op. Benin, Burkina,
Gambia, Senegal

• RATIONALE
• 40 to 88 of the populations, mostly rural people
  live with less than 1/day.
• Women account for more than 50 of the
  population and are the most vulnerable.
• Women  mothers, spouses, economic, health,
  solidarity agents, and very often marginalized

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Women  Change agent, privileged Target group for
the PLCP/CB.

• Development, Poverty reduction and co-op. are
  based on ethics and common values transfer of
  responsibilities, self help, equity, transparency
  and democracy.

To educate a woman to educate a nation 
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OBJECTIVES OF THE PLCP/CB

• Poverty reduction within primary coop.
• Integration of the gender approach in
  cooperatives.
• Voluntary Mobilisation of internal financial and
  human resources.

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CASE STUDY URCBAM - BURKINA FASO

• 1.1 PRESENTATION
• Burkina Faso Sahelian country, HIPIC.
• URCBAM  Regional Union of Small Farmers SACCOs.
• 1.2 PLCP/CB ACTIVITIES 2001-2002
• Credits and income generating activities
  revolving fund, individual loans for livestock
  raising, petty trade, food processing
• Savings 536 women, 46 000 EURO
• Education 1 training unit, 1 HIV/AIDS committee,
  1750 trained women
• Health insurance benefit womenchildren aged
  between 0 to 13 years for consultations,
  treatment, hospitalisations

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CASE STUDY UNCAS - SENEGAL

• 2.1 PRESENTATION
• Senegal Sahelian country
• UNCAS  National Union of Agricultural Coop.
• 10 Regional Unions 1 Womens Committee with
  14.445 members
• 2.2 PLCP/CB ACTIVITIES 2001/2002 
• Training animators (male female), literacy
  training for 3500 leaders and individual members
• Establishment of 15 women SACCOs
• Savings mobilised 86.000 EURO
• Revolving credit fund of 56.800 EURO
• 1451 undertake income generating activities food
  processing, livestock, vegetable production,
  handicraft

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3) PLCP/CB IMPACTS URCBAM UNCAS

• 3.1 Strengthening of human resource capacities
  and local development
• Awareness-raising, training, health insurance for
  6000 women children 
• 277 local organisations centred on grassroots
  peoples needs
• Mobilisation 5000 women, Savings 192.800 EURO,
  job creation, rural girls exodus control, fight
  against prostitution, HIVAIDS

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PLCP/CB IMPACTS (Cont.)

• 3.2 Gender equity
• Change in men and womens mentality UNCAS women
  Land owner Vegetable growers
• Better education and better health of girls
• Reduction of infant and maternal mortality
• Health insurance for 6000 women and children

Better representation and participation of
women  51 of membership for URCBAM and 30 of
Board members for UNCAS
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PLCP/CB IMPACTS (Cont.)

• 3.3 Protection of the Environment
• In Burkina the extensive cutting and sale of
  firewood aim to meet the financial needs of women
  in villages

Income generating activities Income creation
Acquisition of new technologies No more cutting
or sale of firewood Protection of the
environment
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Our vision of North-South partnership in the
fight against poverty!
Work together in order to do without aid, produce
without destroying !
Share the fruit of our work with mutual respect
and equity !