Two of USAID/Benin's partners, the Songhai Center and Enterprise Works
Worldwide (EWW), work together seamlessly to improve business practices
and promote economic growth. Though the Songhai Center (a partner of
the Mission's Basic Education Team) and EWW (financed under the Democracy
and Government Special Objective) different strategies are applied to
meet the same goal. They often find that their activities complement
one another and are much stronger when executed synergistically. Songhai
operates three facilities designed to train youth in model biological
farming activities. EWW practices agricultural extension, training farmers
out in their own villages in improved and appropriate techniques. When
Songhai and EWW executed initiatives collaboratively the research-action
cycle operates smoothly, and students and farmers benefit alike from
the innovation.
EWW is generally responsible for a technology's development, for example
the development of an irrigation pump or an oil press. EWW trains Songhai
staff in the technology's manufacture. The Songhai metal shop fabricates
the technology and, with the support of the EWW marketing, sells the
equipment to model farmers. While the farmers use the technologies,
Songhai and EWW provide after sales service and monitoring. From the
feedback provided by the farmers EWW and Songhai technicians return
to the technology development stage to introduce improvements in the
product's design. In this way the two institutions have developed several
generations of irrigation pumps and palm oil presses, which have generated
more than $1 million in value added for Beninese farmers.
Songhai and EWW have researched together the feasibility of introducing
and extending sunflower and sunflower oil production in Benin. They
also work together to ensure the quality of the Jiko energy-efficient
cook stoves, which are produced by Beninese tinsmiths in partnership
with EWW. Future initiatives might involve the development and promotion
of the mushroom and coconut oil subsectors.
Democracy/Governance: Two Partners Working as One
