Why promote economic empowerment?
It is important to address the specific needs of people lacking opportunities, by targeting areas where people rely on subsistence farming and have few possibilities for advancement. By intervening in different sectors simultaneously, prompting economic growth at the individual and community level, this prompts economic growth. Without durable economic empowerment, there is no chance for global development. Promoting economic empowerment means providing the necessary tools, because we want to ensure success in what the communities do, not in what we do for the communities.
Why is economic empowerment important for development?
Economic empowerment is a particularly important domain critical to us because it allows individuals to take care of their basic needs like food, shelter, health and education. Once these needs are taken care of, individuals can fulfill other dreams and aspirations for themselves. The Noar Foundation wants to promote equal opportunity for both men and women, creating an entrepreneurial model that can be easily replicated. It has already been well demonstrated that by insuring that women have access to financial resources of their own, this makes a significant impact on the overall well-being of the family and society as well as the individual woman.
Gender issues facts in Togo:
- Literacy: total population: 60.9%, male: 75.4%, female: 46.9%
- The school attendance is 7 years for female and 11 years for male
- Customary divisions of labor generally do not still hold in Togo. Although men do most heavy construction or farming work, women perform almost all other manual labor in towns and villages, though less machine work, and control small market commerce.
- Women, though having attained legal equality, remain unequal in all walks of life. Women and men are kept apart in most social gatherings. Women usually eat after men but before children.
- Women have little place in political life and less in government programs, though there is a ministry allocated to women's and family affairs.
- Only women descended from ruling tribal families, successful businesswomen, or women politicians enjoy privileges equal to that of men, more won than granted.
- Togo recently banned the practice of female genital mutilation.
Togo and economic development:
- Economy: this small, sub-Saharan economy is heavily dependent on both commercial and subsistence agriculture, which provides employment for 65% of the labor force. Some basic foodstuffs must still be imported. Cocoa, coffee, and cotton generate about 40% of export earnings with cotton being the most important cash crop.
- Average per capita income is about US$360, and gross national income was US$2.4 billion in 2007
- 32% of the Togolese live below the poverty line
- In terms of electricity, 514 million kWh out of the 640 million kWh consumed are imported from Ghana, which calls for an alternate energy solution as solar.
Sources: CIA – The World Factbook / Togo
World Bank
Everyculture.com
Why adopt a coordinated approach?
Without synergy in development, the improvement created in one area does not last since the needs generated in other sectors are likely to bring down the more developed area to the lowest common denominator. For instance, any improvement in the health sector if it is not matched by food security at the household level, is likely to bring people back into health clinics or to see them perish as a result of preventable illnesses. The Noar Foundation believes that a global approach to overall development, locally focused, with full understanding of the cultural and historical background is the key to long-lasting success.
Why Togo?
Our projects began in small rural communities in Northern Togo because that is where we have established strong connections on the ground. Dr Noar and Dr Piot met on the ground in Togo and quickly realized that by combining their expertise and knowledge in 1) the local and national milieu, 2) healthcare, 3) cottage industry development, and 4) international development, they could make great strides and create a successful development plan. According to the UN, the human development index of Togo is low, ranking 159 out of 192 countries. We prefer to focus our initial interventions in specific geographical areas and strive to improve several key sectors simultaneously. We are confident that, once these communities experience real improvement and overall development, other surrounding communities will then recognize the improvement and try to replicate the model on their own and/or with the assistance of the Foundation.
Source : qwickspep.com
Partnerships
We are working in the north of the country in the low mountain regions, in particular, in the communities that are part of a large Canton, with a number of smaller villages. Examples of some of these communities are Farade, Kudwe, and Tchi-Kawa. All are well-organized communities, with a Chief of the overall Canton and each village with its own chief that falls under the Canton supervision. Dr Piot has based his life's work in these communities in Togo. His published research and books are a literal roadmap of the society. He is extremely well connected at all levels of government and society countrywide. Chiefs de Canton and local leaders have a prominent role in the implementation of any projects, and establishing partnerships is of crucial importance since a complete understanding of the anthropology, ethnicity and social strata, as well as human connections are key success factors in doing coordinated development work.
What have you Achieved so far?
We have initiated and/or provided support for several projects, which have been very favorably received in the communities and have the support of local Chiefs and leaders. Among them is the introduction of WiFi capabilities, computer access via internet cafe, solar energy, tea as a cash crop, opening the local textile market, and improvements in healthcare delivery by coordinating efforts of spiritual, traditional, and western medicine healers, the development of a local health insurance plans, and reinforcement and support of local school systems resulting in improved attendance and higher scores in national tests. You can learn more about our interventions in our project section.