A newly-launched cashew project will provide a valuable source of income for 2,800 women farmers in West Africa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The project, Women\u2019s Economic Empowerment Through Entrepreneurship in the Cashew Value Chain (DEFI), will organise the participating women into five cooperatives in Burkina Faso. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The women will receive training on entrepreneurship, management, business plan development, and on investment and funding opportunities in the cashew value chains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In addition, the project, which will operate in in the Como\u00e9, Houet and K\u00e9n\u00e9dougou provinces will create enterprises around other income-generating activities, such as beekeeping and market gardening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Self Help Africa\u2019s Gender and Inclusion Advisor Mary Sweeney said that the project would allow these women to earn more money for the household, and thus have a positive effect on the whole family. We\u2019ll also be supporting women who don\u2019t have their own orchards, but who are working alongside their husbands in our target communities.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
DEFI is funded by the Austrian Development Agency. The project will be implemented by Self Help Africa together with partners the National Union of Cashew Producers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The new programme continues Self Help Africa\u2019s work within the cashew value chain in West Africa. This began in 2012, and includes Burkina Faso, Benin and Ghana. <\/p>\n\n\n\n