Official launch of COPROKAZAN’s “Kari & ICT” project

“Kari & ICT” is a joint project of the International Institute for Communication and Development (IICD), the Malian Association for the Promotion of Young People (AMPJ) and COPROKAZAN. IICD, the financial partner for the project, was represented by Bénédicte Marcilly, programme officer knowledge sharing. Bénédicte expressed great satisfaction over the initiation of the project, which seeks to increase women’s use of ICT in their daily work. She added that “Kari & ICT” is a great opportunity to facilitate the marketing of shea butter within Mali and on international markets. IICD’s financial contribution enabled COPROKAZAN to acquire quality equipment for its activities.

The specific objectives of the project include: stepping up communication between COPROKAZAN and its partner AMPJ in order to encourage young people, compiling a directory of shea butter buyers, computerising the cooperative’s accounting system and conquering new markets for shea butter. To achieve its objectives, the project calls for the creation of a website to promote COPROKAZAN’s products, connection of its headquarters to the Internet, etc.

COPROKAZAN chairperson Mariko Mah Koné thanked the IICD and promised that the equipment would be used wisely, while administrative manager Ousmane Fomba gave the IICD representative and local authorities a guided tour of the cooperative’s facilities. The chairperson of AMPJ said that he was persuaded that the shea industry holds great promise and that the project will help to overcome the barriers to its development, such as the difficulties in marketing its output. The project is viewed as a means of improving the living conditions of COPROKAZAN members through a significant increase in the cooperative’s sales.

Read more about the IICD supported project: Kari & ICT