Activities in Senegal

PROJECT TITLE

Project for the Promotion of Handicraft Through the Program One Village/One Product (OVOP)

TYPE OF COOPERATION

Technical Cooperation

TARGET AREA

Fatick and Kaolack Regions

IMPLEMENTATION PERIOD

2011-2014

EXECUTING AGENCY

Directorate of Craft industry, Ministry of Vocational Training, Learning and Craft

OBJECTIVE OF THE PROJECT

The OVOP Project aims to encourage the collective initiatives precisely those of local producers and also the small companies to allow them to use and consider the local ressources in order to create a local specialty product (OVOP product) which can be considered as a unique local treasure and to develop income generating activities. The project contributes to revitalize the villages which are facing rural migration but also social and economic stagnation.

PROJECT SUMMARY

The concept « One village, One Product » means a process by which, each village identifies a local resource with a relative advantage that is transformed and sold around the national territory.
The main principles of OVOP are:

• Think globally, Act locally;
• Self-reliance and Creativity;
• Human Resource development.

Think globally, Act locally

Under the principle of « local yet global » , emphasis is placed on reinforcing linkages between « local link » and « global reach », « Local link » implies reconsidering the value of resources existing in and around a community, why «global reach » suggests a possibility of an OVOP product made of and by such resources to attain recognition in urban or overseas markets. People in a community are expected to lean to add creativity to improve quality design of OVOP products, in order to meet the needs of urban and overseas markets.

Self-reliance and Creativity

« Self-reliance and Creativity » reiterates the importance of concerted community initiatives in the identification and unitization of local resources, and in the production and marketing of OVOP products. By doing so, various sections of a community, including OVOP producers, are expected to understand the importance of a community's self-reliance in the management of these resources for the benefit of the community.

Human Resource Development

« Human resource development » is a critical element of OVOP movements. This principle underlines the importance of raising capacities of human resources, for them to acquire knowledge and skills to reinforce linkages between «local link » and « global reach ».
During the implementation of the project, workshop training had been organized for producers and the small companies. Those trainings had focused on essential notions such as the potential of the product like the usage, the management of production groups, the organization of network sales, business plan etc. Thus, the selected producers had profited from numerous support to reinforce their management, producting and saling capacity.

Additionally, an OVOP shop has been opened in Dakar to give opportunities to discover and buy the products made by the group of producers who were selected for their accurate experience in using local resources.