STAY HEALTHY WITH SPIRULINA

Distributing spirulina to the most needy In order to organise a network of women vendors, Entrepreneurs du Monde is seeking 50,000
Mali Niger

TOGO

LOM

Burkina Faso
Cte dIvoire

Bnin Togo Nigeria

PR0JECT
KEY FACTS
> Population: 6 million inhabitants > HDI* ranking: 162nd/189 countries > Life expectancy: 57 years
*Human Development Index

Ghana

Lom

A scheme based on Entrepreneurs Faso Spirulina is an alga with exceptional nutritional virtues which can be grown in pools. Along the lines of the project led by Entrepreneurs du Monde in Burkina Faso since 2008, and in partnership with local spirulina producers, Entrepreneurs du Monde Togos project Stay Healthy with Spirulina aims to distribute this superfood to the poorest inhabitants of Lom. To this end, Entrepreneurs du Monde wants to form a network of women distributors recruited among the beneficiaries of a social microfinance programme which it has been supporting since the beginning of 2012, and more particularly among people living with HIV, looking for income

du Mondes experience in Burkina

generating activities to start. These vendors will raise peoples awareness about spirulina and market it at a competitive price. The project has therefore two objectives: on the one hand, to put on the market a nutritional supplement at a price affordable to the poorest population, and on the other, to offer a new business opportunity to women vendors. By promoting and marketing spirulina, Entrepreneurs du Monde also enables the development of a local producer in Togo.

Tonato, Spirulina producer

PARTNERS
The association WWOOF Togo (Willing Workers On Organic Farms) not only manages a spirulina production farm (200 kg per year), but also runs a training and feeding centre. WWOOF Togo organised the International Symposium on Spirulina in 2008 at Agou Nyogbo, in Togo, and has since collaborated with APSB (Spirulina Producers Association of Burkina Faso), technical partner of the Stay Healthy with Spirulina project set up by Entrepreneurs du Monde in Burkina Faso. Antenna Technologies France is a French international support organisation, member of the Antenna Technologies network founded in 1989 and based in Geneva. It sets up local solutions by making innovative techniques accessible to the most disadvantaged people. It provides
technical support to WWOOF Togo for spirulina production and financially supports the construction of new pools. Furthermore, it works closely with Entrepreneurs du Monde to improve the synergies between the farm and the social distribution network of spirulina. Entrepreneurs du Monde and Antenna Technologies France already collaborate on the Stay Healthy with Spirulina project in Burkina Faso.

Yawo Tonato Agbeko has been producing spirulina since 2004.When he discovered this little green alga, he was rather sceptical until he saw for himself the effect it had on a malnourished child. Convinced then of the very important role it could play in the fight against malnutrition,Tonato decided to launch himself into aquaculture and set up his farm at Agou Nyogbo, 120 km from Lom.Today,Tonato produces 12 kg of spirulina per month, which is not sufficient to meet the demand from his clients. For a better social integration of his project, he created a feeding centre where people suffering from malnutrition receive care from a nutritionist. Backed by Antenna Technologies,Tonato is currently carrying out expansion works on his farm, increasing its size from 162 to 462 m2 and therefore increasing the production, by end of 2012, to 50 kg per month.

STAY HEALTHY WITH SPIRULINA

FOCUS
A product out of reach of the poorest The majority of available spirulina in Togo is imported and sold in pharmacies at prices too high for the people most in need. Committed Local Charities Among other effects, spirulina strengthens the immune system, and is therefore particularly indicated for people living with HIV (PLHIV), at risk of developing opportunistic infections. The Togolese charity Espoir Vie Togo (EVT), partner of Entrepreneurs du Monde on a social microfinancing project, is striving to support PLHIV. Convinced of the beneficial effects of the green alga, this charity regularly informs and encourages its 5,000 members to consume spirulina.
Thanks to external funding, EVT allows its members to purchase spirulina at a subsidised price. But these fundings remain limited. The charity cannot then ensure a regular supply. Most often, the quantities it manages to obtain are used up within a day. And yet, a regular daily intake is precisely what ensures spirulinas effectiveness. This subsidised supply model therefore has limitations, which is why Entrepreneurs du Monde launched this Stay Healthy with Spirulina programme.

2012 OBJECTIVES
Increasing the populations awareness Entrepreneurs du Monde will put in place an information campaign about spirulina: awareness-raising sessions, use of the media, sales campaigns. These activities are primarily targeting people affected by dietary deficiencies (children, PLHIV, etc.). Organising a distribution network Entrepreneurs du Monde will order from the farm and supply spirulina to its distribution network for sale on local markets. Two groups of 30 women vendors will be recruited in 2012. They will be supervised by a sales leader who will provide training about spirulina, nutrition, and communication and sales techniques. The vendors will begin their business with a stock advance. As they sell and restock, they will be able to pay back this advance, while consolidating their working capital. The objective is to achieve a distribution rate of at least forty 25g sachets per vendor per month by the end of 2012.

FUNDING
The project got off the ground in 2012 thanks to the financial backing of the Lemarchand Foundation and the Clifford Chance Foundation. To pursue its programme, Entrepreneurs du Monde is seeking a further 50,000 over the next two years. Thereafter, the financing needs will be partially fulfilled by spirulina sales results, but will need to be topped up until the project is financially autonomous, in about 5 years.

PARTNERS
Towards a sustainable marketing model Along the lines of the Stay Healthy with Spirulina project managed by Entrepreneurs du Monde in Burkina Faso, Entrepreneurs du Monde Togo wishes to set up a sustainable marketing model: a fair price paid to the producer, a new business opportunity for women vendors, and an affordable sale price for the consumers. Eventually, the project will lead to the creation of an autonomous social enterprise.

CONTACTS
Entrepreneurs du Monde/Togo Programme Manager: Ludovic Parenty > ludovic.parenty@entrepreneursdumonde.org > afriquedelouest.entrepreneursdumonde.org Entrepreneurs du Monde/France Director: Franck Renaudin > franck.renaudin@entrepreneursdumonde.org > www.entrepreneursdumonde.org