People overcoming poverty in Niger:
The Matameye Women's Cooperative

The Samou Naka Cooperative is Increasing Sales and Looking to the Future

Matameye is a densely populated rural area of southern Niger in which over 70 percent of the population earns less than 35 cents a day. Many of the women in Matameye have formed cooperatives that engage in off farm activities to supplement their household income.  The largest of these, Samou Naka Cooperative, is an association of 201 low-income women who roast and press peanuts to produce cooking oil and peanut cake, which is sold as a popular flavor additive to meats, vegetables, and salads. Before the ADF grant, the cooperative lacked the working capital needed to purchase and store large quantities of peanuts during the harvest season and implement an effective marketing strategy to generate significant revenue for its members.

In 2005, Samou Naka Cooperative signed a $154,750 investment agreement with ADF to construct a warehouse to store stocks of peanuts and oil, establish a working capital fund to purchase its peanut stock in bulk, and provide its members with improved oil processing equipment.  Samou Naka set aside a portion of the grant as a revolving loan fund to enable its members to buy peanuts and other production inputs. The grant also financed training for the cooperative in financial management and basic accounting, business management, and marketing strategies.

With the ADF grant the Cooperative scaled up its peanut oil production, increasing annual sales to over $46,000 by the end of 2007. The cooperative also improved its cash and inventory management skills and issues quarterly financial statements. Samou Naka has maintained a 100 percent repayment rate on its revolving loan fund, which now provides its members with over $58,600 per year in production input loans. All members take part in decisions on pricing, inventory investments, credit terms and other elements of the cooperative’s business strategy.  Samou Naka’s careful asset management ensures that the impact of the ADF investment will continue long after the grant period has ended.

..........For more information about USADF projects in Niger click here

The United States African Development Foundation (ADF) is a federal agency dedicated to expanding access to economic opportunity in Africa. Over the past 28 years, ADF has funded over 1,100 projects in support of African entrepreneurs and local African communities. For more information on ADF, its programs and its application guidelines, visit: www.usadf.gov. 

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