June 24, 2019
One of the major themes marking the "Kroubi" cultural and economic week, held from 19 to 21 June in Bondoukou (North-East), is women's entrepreneurship through panels, workshops and conferences led by experts. Ivorians and foreigners. This week, whose theme is "Agribusiness and social cohesion: factors of territorial development", allowed to discover the know-how of some women entrepreneurs who reveal their path and their expectations at the end of this cultural event.
Bondoukou - Ivory Coast. Images by IT
It is a development tool aimed at creating the right conditions for a good business environment to boost local and national development. This year, the focus was particularly on women and agribusiness through themes, exhibitions of products in the various stands installed for this purpose.
The initiator of the Kroubi Week, Issoufou Ouattara, said that he decided this year to work much more with women in the Gontougo and Bounkani regions in order to empower them. He noted that this edition has highlighted projects of cooperatives and other women's initiatives. The goal is to create a more inclusive and participative society.
Difficult but encouraging beginnings
It is this objective that some of them want to set themselves at Kroubi, in particular, Kra Marina director of establishments of the same name. It offers the public natural juice from cashew apples and organic liquor cashew without yeast or sugar and syrup and jam.
Miss Kra said that the adventure began four years ago on own funds with the rudimentary manufacture of cashew liqueur in association with the fruit house of Bondoukou.
She admitted that she started her business anonymously because the people of Bondoukou are still unaware of the products that can be made from the cashew nut often abandoned in the plantations in favor of the nut. of cashew.
This opinion is also shared by Kouadio Sonia Esther, director of the company YE-HAARI, specialist in the production of clay pots, honey, shea butter, soumara, fonio and purple rice.
It recognized the many difficulties encountered in the implementation of its business, including the lack of access to credit.She stressed, however, that this is a dream she wanted to achieve since childhood.
"I've always wanted to tell the world about home-grown foods made in Africa with unmixed natural products and chemicals," she said.
For Ama Tano Odette, a member of the Côte d'Ivoire National Transformers Network (RET-PACI), a specialist in the processing of cereals, pulses, oilseeds, fruit and tuber spices, the company was set up thanks to Mrs. Coulibaly Alimata, current president who initially introduced the porridge with corn flour before its structure spreads throughout the national territory.
Findings noted in the management of agricultural activities
The conduct of women's agricultural associations is not easy and presents flaws that we know Mrs. Callé Aude Viviane, agroeconomist engineer, coordinator of the project for support to agricultural coordination and marketing (PROPACOM).She hosted a conference with the theme "Woman in agriculture" where she noted the different findings in the presence of women in agriculture.
For the speaker, there is a low visibility of women in relation to their sector of activity who prefer to evolve in the informal sector. This situation, according to statistics, does not highlight the real contribution of women in their activities.
She lamented the lack of funding to increase the activities of women who often live in precarious conditions despite the large financial flow circulating in the food sector. Ms. Callé also pointed out that women often do not have land to safely engage in farming activities.
For the speaker, women-led agricultural activities often suffer from immaturity, lack of transparency in fund management and lack of financial balance, and too much leadership that builds trust within the organization. group.
"It is impossible to seek funding when we can not take stock of past activities," she said, pointing out that the farmer is a profession recognized by the State of Côte d'Ivoire.
Women invited to invest in agricultural income generating activities
All women in Kroubi recognized that farming, production, processing and sales generate income that can contribute to women's empowerment.
They invited women to be courageous and to take an interest in agriculture, where there are promising projects. They indicated that the implementation of an activity can be done with low financial means, one of the conditions to have access to credits.
They asked the women to get together to be even more effective and credible with the donors
Mr. Ouattara encouraged women and girls entrepreneurs to move out of the informal economy to become successful economic actors.
At the end of the Kroubi week, we can remember that women have a leading role to play in the agricultural sector, particularly in the production, processing and sale of their product. It must realize its strengths and its performance that can contribute to the development of its region. As long as it has the tools it needs to achieve its goals.
Zagadou Alain
Head of Regional Office Bondoukou
ASK
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