- 1. OverviewRefugees from the Ivory Coast with their
belongingsThe UN has given us $2 million to design an agricultural
business project for500 woman of a farming community in the Ivory
Coast. The funding shouldlast for 10 years and ensure
sustainability in the future.
2. Our Plan $1.5 million will go toward planting kitsand
training for the women. 500 kits will be distributed every year.
Kits will include seeds, planting tools and other materials. The
rest of the money will go toward anenvironmental hazard fund, in
case ofenvironmental emergencies. The women can harvest these
cropsand export to other countries for aprofit. 3. Womens
Rights/Roles - Role expectations for women first changed in 1939,
by theMandal Decree of 1939, where the age of marriage was fixedto
the minimum of 14 and there had to be mutual consentnecessary for
the marriage -The Jacquinot Decree of 1951, enabled women to obtain
adivorce more easily and recognized that monogamy as theonly legal
form of marriage - However, in the 1960s, legislationestablished
the husbands right to control the wifes propertyand required her to
obtain her husbands permission to get abank account or a job
-Association of Ivorian Women was formed in 1963 toestablish
judicial equality for women 4. Womens Rights/Roles -Legislation was
enacted in 1983 to allow women to controlsome of her property after
marriage and appeal the courts toredress of the husbands actions
-After 1987, educational opportunities increased, about 1/6 ofthe
students at the National University of Ivory Coast werewomen and
the number of women in the work force alsoincreased -Women made up
one fourth of the civil services and heldpositions in medicine,
law, business and teaching 5. History of Agriculture Foundation of
economy Main source of growth Coffee, Cocoa, and Timber Fertile
land, Cheap labor, Favorable prices 6. Agriculture Provides work
for 2/3 of the workforce Close ties to France Exports mostly
related to petroleum and agriculture to Europeor U.S. 7. Government
Involvement Ruled by democratic government for 30 years Enforced
opposing political parties Political turmoil due to unfair
elections 8. Economy The Ivoirian economy is largely market-based
and depends heavily on the agricultural sector They had a poor
economy in the 1980s and 1990s, and continued tobe poor as
population increasedA majority of the population remains dependent
on smallholdercash crop production. Exports: petroleum, cocoa,
coffee, pineapples, tuna, rubber, andtropical woods. Foreign
investment is a part of the Ivoirian economy, in whichFrance plays
a big role in 9. Economy Achieved independence from France in the
1960s France financed most major commercial enterprises,
andsupported the countrys banking and credit structure.France
purchased--often at rates higher than market value--mostof the
countrys exports. During the first phase, from 1965 to 1975, the
economy grew at aremarkable pace as coffee, cocoa, and timber
exports increased Towards the end of the first decade of being
independent, theimportance of coffee, cocoa, and timber was reduced
and demandfor banana , cotton, rubber, palm oil, and sugar
increased. 10. Overall GoalBy setting financial systematic goals it
will help the project stay task-oriented and driven, and eventually
make the project sustainable whichwill bring in profit each year.
Improving the wages and working conditions of the women willhelp
them work harder and more efficientlyduring their acquired shift.
11. Goals Money Management Manage money that was given by the
government and maintaina steady financial profit each year. Reach a
profit of $100,000 after 1 year Reach a profit of $500,000 after 5
years Reach a profit of $1,000,000 after the period of 10 years
Education Have 60 individuals in management trained positions to be
ableto further educate the employees under them to continuetraining
incase someone needs to take their place Everyone will have the
same work experience and sameknowledge of what needs to be done to
accomplish the profitgoals for each year All management trained
positions will be filled by women (nodiscrimination against pay)
12. Goals Natural Disaster Prevention Damage control Backup water
system Build an eco-friendly water system so that rain water
collectsand Crop damage prevention Pesticides Storage systems
Insect nets 13. Goals Working conditions Pay will be double the
current minimum wage forwomen Health benefits 8-hour work days
(6am-2pm or 2pm-10-pm) Uniforms to keep workers cool and prevent
fatigue andover exhaustion Sustainability Start project with 500
kits Train the 60 individuals on how to use the kitsefficiently
Recycle beginner kits to lesser the money used onfuture materials
14. Benefits The planting kits will provide a self sustained source
of incomefor the women in the tribe The they will be able to grow
major cash crops, such as coffee andcoco, more efficiently then
before. They will be able to grow other crops such as corn and
sugarcane to provide themselves with a reliable source of food. 15.
Benefits Cont. The training provided by professionals, will ensure
that thewomen will be able to do all of the work themselves and
wontneed to hire outside help, thus cutting out the middle man. The
seeds leftover from each season will be able to be plantedat the
beginning of the next season and ensure that theprogram will be
self sustaining. 16. Benefits Cont. The planting kits will provide
a self sustained source of incomefor the women in the tribe The
they will be able to grow major cash crops, such as coffee andcoco,
more efficiently then before. They will be able to grow other crops
such as corn and sugarcane to provide themselves with a reliable
source of food. 17. Benefits Cont. The training provided by
professionals, will ensure that thewomen will be able to do all of
the work themselves and wontneed to hire outside help, thus cutting
out the middle man. The seeds leftover from each season will be
able to be plantedat the beginning of the next season and ensure
that theprogram will be self sustaining. 18. Potential Problems
DROUGHTS Without water to irrigate crops, the crops could not
succeed in growth. So if ever there is a drought, farmers may be
forced to migrate because they do not have alternative food
sources. Regions that depend on crops as a major food source like
the Ivory Coast may suffer a great deal during a drought. Some
problems surrounding a drought include: Dust bowls, themselves a
sign of erosion, which further erode the landscape Famine due to
lack of water for irrigation Habitat damage Malnutrition,
dehydration and related diseases Mass migration, resulting in
internal displacement and international refugees War over natural
resources, including water and food HEAT If crops are exposed to
long periods of heat it could cause them to dry out and become
susceptible to accidental fires. If farmers are not able to put a
fire out in time, it will spread; destroying all the crops and
leaving the farmers with nothing. Besides having no vegetation,
there are other problems that stem from crops being wiped out by
fires. It also affects the air quality, the wind and heat. 19. How
to Solve PotentialProblems $500,000 safety fund In the case of a
drought or extreme heat, the seasons crops couldbe ruined. If this
were to happen, the women of the Ivory Coast could usemoney from
the $500,000 safety fund to buy more seeds and re-plant crops once
the drought or extreme heat is over. This money is purely for
emergency situations (if all vegetationwere to die) 20. Conclusion
With this program, we are empowering womenhelpingthem to help
themselves We are educating them and providing them with tools
tocreate sustainable incomes for themselves We also have a back-up
fund just in case! 21. Questions? 22. References
http://worldpress.org/profiles/ivory_coast.cfm
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/139651/Cote-dIvoire/55129/Agriculture-forestry-and-fishing
