Cover_Rebuilding West Africas Food Potential

240 Rebuilding West Africa’s food potential

second concerns the important role of savings, which is one of the cornerstones to empower the

organization and its members (including conditionality links forged with credit). The five Union leaders

were able to understand better the practices of SEWA in regard to governance, savings and loans, the

fundamental role of appropriate and continuous training for rural women who are often illiterate, and

especially to their democratic and decentralized governance with a flawless information flow between

all members. Based on this training trip, Tien-Tieetaa women leaders have resolved to initiate the

following changes in their Union:

1). Reorganize the Union in value chain, drawing on the SEWA model, so that members involved in the

same value chains, and thus having the same needs and constraints, may interact more efficiently.

2). Systematize the relationship between loans and savings. Information sessions are planned to

educate members about it.

3). Provide training for grassroots leaders starting with the three leaders in each village, and focusing

specifically on their roles and responsibilities.

4). Consult with experts in order to receive advice and technical assistance to transform the Union into

a federation.

The new vitality within the Union generated by the GAIN assessment and the wealth of knowledge

and broadening of the Union leaders’ outlook after the trip to SEWA has given a real boost to the

Union. The durability of the momentum created will have to be monitored and it will be useful, in the

medium term, to take stock of the objectives and timelines laid out in the Union’s roadmap to assess if

the changes stimulated by using the GAIN methodology had an impact on improving farmers’ access

to markets and food security.

4. Brief comparative analysis of GAIN application to West Africa

Beside the Tien-Tieetaa Union in Burkina Faso, the GAIN methodology was also applied to two other

producers’ organizations namely in Cameroon (Union of producers in Noun District) and in Mali (Union

of cooperatives “women in action”). All three organizations were subjected to exactly the same GAIN

methodology and below is a short summary of the main findings across the three experiences. The

focus of this section is on the reliability of the GAIN methodology and effectiveness of its approach.

4.1 Main economic activities of the PO studied

The three cases examined by the GAIN methodology in Burkina Faso, Cameroun and Mali present three

very contrasting situations, when considering their agricultural potential, the main agricultural activities

practiced by the members as well as non-farm income generating activities. Table11 below provides a

summary: