News from the Rural Enterprises Capitalization workshop

The IFAD, FIDAFRIQUE and Rural Enterprise Project (REP2) organize currently (from 16 to 24 May 2011) in Accra, a workshop on sharing and capitalisation of experiences on the promotion and development of Micro and Small Enterprises (SMEs) in rural areas. The workshop consists of 4 projects funded by IFAD: PROMER 2 (Senegal); REP II (Ghana); PPPMER (Rwanda) and PROSPERER (Madagascar). Seven (7) experiences to be capitalized have been identified:

1. Decentralized Business Advisory Centers (BAC) and Rural Technology Facilities (RTF) : key to addressing Business Development Challenges in Rural Ghana

2. Clients exhibition and trade show: a key market access tool rural Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs);

3. Promoting Rural Youth employment Through Equipment Support

4. The network of service providers: a step towards the sustainability of the services of support to rural enterprises PROSPERER (Madagascar);

5 Route of Boubacar Keïta, traditional Baker at Mbourouko (PROMER 2, Senegal);

6. Fairs: tool for the promotion and facilitation of rural Micro and Small Enterprises access to urban markets (PROMER 2, Senegal);

7 Credit: Tool for the promotion of rural enterprise in Rwanda (PROJECTLESS, Rwanda).

After the description of each experience to be capitalized, participants are working today in project groups to design and provide the frameworks for analysis of these different experiences.

Tomorrow will be fully devoted to field visit. Two sites are planned: North and South Tongu Districts and West Akim Municipality. Each group will visit a RTF and bin and will have the opportunity to interact with beneficiaries and local elected officials on the impact of these instruments in job creation and the consolidation of MPERs. A photographic report will be done for each site and we will share them with you.