The voice of beneficiaries: AVSI - Integrated project to support the empowerment of artisans in Côte d'Ivoire.

The project "integrated project to support the empowerment of craftsmen of Côte d'Ivoire" implemented by AVSI, and closed at the end of 2017, aimed to support artisans mainly from the informal sector to improve their living conditions.

Through the implementation of an integrated approach aimed at strengthening the institutional framework, improving the working and living conditions of craftsmen and their families, as well as promoting social inclusion, AVSI has achieved a significant positive impact on beneficiaries.

Here are some testimonies collected 5 months after the closing of the project by a web journaliste (link to full article).

Kambou, photographer in Yamoussoukro, lost his son during the implementation of the project. Soon after her second son became ill and needed urgent surgery that Kambou could not afford. Thanks to the health insurance put in place for the members of the association, his son was able to operate by paying only a small sum.

Hamed Ibrahim, an ironworker, says that "Before the project came, we were very scattered, we hardly knew each other and we saw each other as competitors, nothing more. This project arrived and we started the association. Not all metalworkers answered the call, but for those who did, we benefited a lot. We help each other and our relationship has grown beyond the limits of work, we are friends now. When there is a big market, I call my iron friends to help me.

Another beneficiary, belonging to the group of mechanics, recognizes that "I have been in the business as a car mechanic for so many years.  However, during the training, I learned things that I had never considered important, like approaching the market, relationships with my clients, etc. It's also a good place to exchange ideas with my colleagues who have the same kind of business. "

In addition to the blog, here are two interesting videos and an article made by AVSI: