Co-operative development

Developing the quality, production capacity, technology, logistics and management capability of the 25 best of the 55 cooperatives that we are currently supporting. We will also select three chiefdom areas (Specific village locations) – Ikulu, Kigudu and Atyap – to develop IT capacity and create product sales channels.
Developing new products and enhancing existing products produced by mainly female artisans to ensure their suitability for Western Markets and finding international buyers, as well as finding best prices locally. Efforts will be made to develop authentic high quality products, which are lightweight and thus suitable for posting individually or in bulk.
Expanding the number of participants in the co-operatives, through a training programme in production processes and agricultural technology at our SKaRDIA Centre

We also have a number of cross-thematic areas:

Ecologically sound – our SKaRDIA Training Centre, which will act as the headquarters for the project and will contain the latest information on solar technology and solar-powered products, including solar batteries, water heaters and solar-powered PCs from Inveneo. Work will also be produced to minimise the carbon footprint of exported products.
Social impact - the origin of the co-operative strategy was to provide solutions for poverty-stricken women, who have been impacted by AIDS, either through contracting the disease or by losing their husband to it. Far fewer girls in Nigeria are educated than boys and hence very few women receive any education of consequence, which leaves them very dependent upon their husbands for family income.
Equal Opportunities – recruitment and selection will take place using equal opportunities strategies. Women and men will also be encouraged to participate in EO training seminars, to try to address the male-focused culture locally, which is detrimental, when lenders are traditionally far happier to lend to women entrepreneurs than men.

Nehemiah Foundation International are an organisation based in Kaduna State, Nigeria, which is north of Abuja, the capital. Emmanuel Nehemiah is an Ashoka Fellow and founded the NGO in 2002, as a response to social need in Nigeria. Since then he has been responsible for bringing about over 50 wells and 55 co-operatives in the rural villages of the State. Nehemiah Foundation has established links with all the local chiefdoms, each of whom are eager to provide land for development. Many have learned skills to produce handicraft items, e.g. carpets and utensils, which have minimal local value, but substantial international value, if suitable buyers can be found. An on-line catalogue of craft items is currently in progress and will be available for viewing by overseas buyers within the next couple of months. Nehemiah Foundation are also developing strategies for the State Government on rural development, so some investment into this successful project could well lead to investment in a second or third centre in other parts of the State.

Nehemiah Foundation would like to seek funding for:

A project to train local businesses and co-operatives in product quality and Fair Trade requirements and supporting Nehemiah Foundation International to become a member of IFAT to facilitate future international trade for all local organisations locally - $15,000
A project that will train existing co-operatives and village leaders in the use of internet technology to support their development of the trading of craft goods and farm produce - $25,000
Support to find long-term international buyers for locally-produced products and development of the use of Todofono (or similar) mobile phone village sales technology - $20,000
The development of an E-Commerce web-site to include all of the work of the co-operatives and artisan individuals, based around the product catalogue already in development - $5,000
Inveneo project to set up the hub and connect with 3 villages. Inveneo equipment is tested in African conditions and is powered by solar energy. Training would also be given in installation of the equipment, allowing the network to grow - $25,000
The development of a logistics social enterprise, which would provide warehousing for stored goods at the SKaRDIA Centre, transport to Kaduna for goods to be posted and quick passage through the Lagos ports for containers – $25,000
The InnovAfrica Programme, which seeks to develop a number of new and independent businesses selling products unique to Africa, such as “Internet Safaris for schools” and authentic African cultural items, art and music, through the internet medium. - $30,000