In Yadè Sodè, in the commune of Kozah 2 in the Kara region, 10 women driven by the desire to be financially independent are now creating wonders with the food products they process. They amaze children, their husbands and other women with their products, which help to improve household nutrition and increase their incomes.
When you talk to them, they are quick to reveal their secrets, which are the result of the training they have received as part of the implementation of the West Africa Food System Resilience Programme in Togo and the partnership with the Ministry of Health.
Three of these women from the Merveille cooperative were chosen to take part in the training of trainers. They learnt how to process soya into enriched flour, the nutritional elements of the orange-fleshed sweet potato and how to prepare a sauce made from moringa leaves.
After two years of implementing the activities, the impact on the health of families, thanks to the nutrients provided, and on the cooperative is legion, according to its President, Mrs Adjélékou Préname: “What we learnt during the training of trainers was above all hygiene in the processing of soya into flour and cheese. Before, we didn’t take into account certain details that meant our finished products weren’t of good quality. Today, we’re proud to offer quality products that everyone in the family can enjoy.
They produce 200 kilograms and have seen their turnover increase from 50,000 CFA francs to 150,000 CFA francs per month.
In addition, children aged between 6 months and 5 years who are vitamin deficient can correct their vitamin deficiency by regularly eating moringa-enriched flours.
Highly ambitious, the women of the Merveilles cooperative are aiming to increase their production from 200kg to 500kg per month and sell the finished products in supermarkets and internationally. To this end, they have decided to invest in the production of food crops such as maize, soya, moringa and orange-fleshed sweet potatoes, and have acquired a 1 ha plot of land.
One of the special features of the women from the ‘Merveille’ cooperative is the packaging of the enriched soya flour produced using the techniques learned during the training course.
They praise the support of the FSRP and its partners, which has enabled them to increase their income despite the traditional production process for finished products.
To become more professional and modernise their activities, these women are aiming to acquire modern processing equipment such as a mill, cooking pots and quality packaging, either from their own funds or on loan. They plan to certify their products so that they can be displayed in shopping centres and pharmacies.
As a result of the support they have received from the FSRP Togo, the women of the “Merveilles” cooperative are now being held up as examples and asked to support other women in other localities who wish to become agricultural processors.
