Providing support

The process passes through participative diagnosis sessions with groups. During these meetings, the problems of each common initiative group are identified and handled following the different activity axes. ASSEJA community workers together with the groups, identify micro project ideas in which the groups can invest. This process generally leads to the drafting of an action plan that would facilitate the group’s monitoring.
The methodology therefore respects the following steps:
-        Group organization and structuring support,
-        Group capacity building,
-        Support/monitoring of group activities,
-        Trade fair/exhibition participation support,
-        Putting groups in contact with micro finance institutions.
 
  Group sensitization, identification and participative diagnosis
-        12 radio programmes and articles in the ASSEJA news bulletin and through other medias,
-        More than 1500 copies of leaflets produced and distributed,
-        About 850 visits and field trips done,
-        469 groups and IGA promoters supported,
-        154 participative diagnosis carried out,
 
Group organization and structuring
-        98 training sessions (workshops, seminars and working sessions) were organized in favour groups and as such,
160 groups received legalization assistance; these groups which are constituted in CIGs have now better understood the importance of working together, of uniting their efforts and resources in order to jointly manage initiated projects,
143 groups received assistance in terms of group structuring. The trainings that these groups received helped them to be better organized and to better manage their initiated projects and they equally received tools that would help in the:
  1. a)– Effective organizational and conflict management,
  2. b)- Judicious and rational organization of their activities in order to improve on their skills,
  3. c)– Advocacy actions and the establishment of partnerships,
-        More than 600 group officials received. During these visits, the officials were advised on the procedures relating to the implementation of their activities and they equally received specific information on the modalities relating to the support given to groups by NGO ASSEJA,
-        08 CIG unions were created  and 36 members of these CIGs union were trained. These groups are working together in order to promote their activities and protect their interests.
 
       Group capacity building
-        112 practical sessions on agricultural activities; that is:
64 practical sessions on the cultivation of maize, pineapple, banana and carrots,
45 practical sessions on animal husbandry (fowls, pigs and partridges),
01 practical session on the dyeing of clothes,
03 practical session on the manufacture of soap powder,
02 session on the sewing of men’s and ladies’ suits,
01 session on hairdressing
03 session on food processing
01 hairdressing session
-98 grouped theoretical sessions, that is:
17 sessions on the structuring and internal management of groups,
21 sessions on the identification and design of IGAs,
49 individual sessions with groups on project designing,
08 sessions on savings and loan management,
03 seminars on marketing and product commercialization techniques,
-35 information materials (fact-sheets, booklets, brochures) produced and distributed with an average of 1500 copies distributed in order to edify and inform the groups on their activities,
-166 isolated groups and promoters have received support in the form of training sessions,
-97 micro projects have been designed by these groups,
-02 partnership agreements with 02 micro finance institutions to facilitate the groups’ access to small loans,
-15 groups have received loans.
 
Supporting/monitoring group activities
-650 actions in line with advice support were given to isolated groups and promoters during visits and field trips (305 field trips were done alongside with groups for the technical monitoring of agro pastoral activities),
-06 days for exhibitions and information (trade fair and exhibition) helped CIGs to expose their activities to the general public and to different for subsequent funding,
-08 grinding mills were offered to 08 women groups,
-02 lists of micro finance institutions able to assist groups and promoters of IGAs were produced in 100 copies and distributed to groups to help them with the necessary information on the financing procedures in line with their activities.