Yacine is like millions of women in Senegal who live in rural, off-grid communities. She has a husband, a family, and relies on agriculture to earn an income. But Yacine is also very unique…
Pictured: Yacine
Two years ago, with the support of German international development agency GIZ and the Renewable Energy Programme (PED), United Purpose built three solar-powered grain processing units, one of which is in Yacine’s village. Before this, all of the women in the village would have to survive all year round from produce grown between July and November. But with no storage facilities to preserve the harvest, and no electricity to power machines to enable fast processing, hundreds of kilos of produce – and potential income – would go to waste.
Together with the local authorities, food standards agency and research institutions, we installed a processing unit comprised of a multi-grain mill and an automatic husking machine, complete with preparation and stock rooms. Yacine and the other women in the Takou Djoubo women’s business took part in a lengthy training programme focusing on business management, such as financial management, team culture and marketing; and technical skills such as food hygiene, processing techniques and food storage.
Their business now enables them to make and sell porridge, flour, couscous and other products from the crops that they collectively grow, and also to rent out use of the machines to other local entrepreneurs, meaning they have a secure income all year round.
Yacine says: “The best thing is that we have always used these products in our everyday cooking. We used to buy them, but now we make them ourselves. We’ve been trained in how to do it to the correct standards and to ensure higher nutritional value. Women from all the surrounding villages are buying our products because they know it give their children the nutrition they need.”
So what makes Yacine so unique? Since becoming the secretary of the business, she has shone as a natural leader, and is vital to the business’s success. She has defied gender stereotypes by quickly learning how to maintain the machines to ensure they continue to function. She is responsible for overseeing quality control during the milling process, and as the only one who can read and write, she is also in charge of book keeping and accounts.
Not only that, but a recent evaluation of the socio-economic impacts of this project revealed that Yacine and her team have brought about a shift in attitudes towards women.
Abdou, the village chief, told us: “This project has helped social cohesion in this village because men and women have been working together as a team to make it a success. The fact that [they] now have a strong business is beneficial for the whole village”.
You can read more about how Abdou is supporting the business here.
Yacine’s business has gone from strength to strength in the past two years. Now, she and the other women hope to make use of the surplus energy generated by the solar panels to invest in more machines that will enable them to diversify their product range.
Read more stories from our work in Senegal:
