Non governmental organisation created in 1995, the Kora-PRD acts for economic and social change in Senegal by encouraging the artisans’ sector. Various engagements have been made: training, partnering access to credit, negotiations with public entities, production and marketing of raw materials. The Kora-PRD supports several professional associations in a dozen areas of Senegal: hundreds of workshops and thousands of artisans and apprentices benefit from their actions.

In Africa, numerous youth uneducated, undereducated or unable to pursue their education, have no choice but to test their luck in the informal sector. Offering what the educational system is unable to provide, professional training adapted to the needs of producers and opportunities of finding work in the future as workshop employees or managers for the most ambitious; Frères des Hommes chose to engage itself in the support of an especially promising sector for artisans: carpentry. An initial test phase in 1999 was launched, with a project supported by Senegalese carpenters in the suburbs of Dakar.

The objective being to allow these artisans and their workers to increase their income through access to wealthier markets (quality furniture suppliers, construction carpentry produce…). Up against new complications engendered by demand (time-limits, quantity, quality…) the group decides to develop this profession using the French “compagnonnage” model, organising apprentice and foreman training. A larger-scale project is launched in 2001 in partnership with Kora-PRD, an NGO working in the field for over ten years. With their aid the program is extended to other localities: Thiès, Louga and Méckhé.

The different phases of the program put in place have allowed to enhance hundreds of workshops with young apprentices trained in development of production and marketing capacities. What has been gained, which is today used in debate and reflection with Kora-PRD in vision of pursuing the project are:

• The development of a defined training curriculum using night courses for the apprentices (reading and writing, drawing techniques, woodworking, basic accounting) ;
• The development of an industrial cooperative in Dakar allowing small-scale workshops access to machines which they would be unable to afford individually and which are essential for the production of items able to concur with other imports ;
• Improved collective access to raw materials ;
• Negotiations with public entities around public markets (national furnishing possibilities) and production support..

Discover our latest project with Kora-PRD: Senegal - Working with artisan woodworkers