The first day was marked by the presentation of several proven practical cases and the themes that constitute our intervention approach were at the center of the debates. There were also testimonies from those who have been or still are actors in the implementation of these approaches.
In his speech, Mr Afel Yattara, the Chief of Staff of the Governor of the Segou region did not fail to express the interest with which the local authorities follow the activities of 2SCALE which, according to him, are a true development approach.
In addition to the lessons and experiences sharing sessions, an exhibition opportunity was also offered to our partners who are revolutionizing the processing of agri-food by-products for low-income consumers.
Business champions from Mali who were either in the first phase and those from this second phase, were present at the ceremony. They took the opportunity to testify about the impacts of 2SCALE's support on their businesses over the past ten years.
As a replication event, it was not only about showing the successes, but also the constraints and proven solutions in running an agribusiness cluster. Alahidi Barry, the Country Team Lead for Mali explains:
Launching of the LAKIKA brand by the women parboilers of Konodimini in Mali
The second day, June 30, 2022, will remain a date engraved in the memory of the people of Konodimini village. Under the sound of drums and tam-tams, women, men and children of the village rushed to the multifunctional youth center where the launch of the activities of the Siguida Yeelen-2SCALE partnership took place. LAKIKA is the brand name given to the parboiled rice products processed by the women of Konodimini. Women parboilers, rice farmers, traditional and administrative authorities, were all gathered for the occasion to witness the birth of this new barnd. After two years of efforts made by women to realize their dream of putting this parboiled rice brand on the market, it was worth celebrating every effort and hard work put intothe entire process. This product has a guarantee of quality and is accessible to all segments of the population, including low-income consumers.
The chief of Konominini village was on the front line to testify the satisfaction of his village for the work done by 2SCALE in supporting the women.
Following the village chief, a series of testimonies were evidenced by the emotion of the president of the women parboilers association, the commitment of the administrative authorities and the satisfaction of the representative of the Dutch embassy in Mali, who spared no effort to take part in the event that was held nearly 300 km from Bamako. Ms Haby Diarra, the president of the women parboilers group said:
The prefect of the Segou region, onhis part, praised 2SCALE's approach, which contributes to the economic empowerment of women in a region under threat from terrorism. He emphasized this by saying:
Sustainability is what is sought in all the actions we take in the development of agribusiness in Africa. It is in this sense that the representative of the Netherlands Embassy in Mali urged the actors to take ownership of the achievements of the partnership to ensure their sustainability. Mr. Mamadou Landouré, Development and Economic Advisor at the Dutch Embassy in Mali, concluded: