I&P Accélération au Sahel

Gona Maroquinerie is an Ivorian company specializing in leather goods, particularly in the production of office items (conference folders, diaries), handbags or travel bags, pocket items, watch straps, wallets, and other accessories made of leather and imitation leather.

The entrepreneur

The company was founded by Jean Cyrille Ahoua Gona in 2014.

Autodidact, Mr. Ahoua is now a specialist in leather goods and shoe repair and has more than 33 years of experience in this sector. Accountant training, he began his professional career, far from the craft, as a sales manager in a company of Import / Export. Attracted by the idea of learning a trade, he left the company after two years and started working in the shoe industry.

His talent and his commitment to the leather goods sector have enabled him to win several prizes and distinctions at the national and sub-regional level :

• 2nd prize in the National Competition of Young Ivorian craftsmen (1998)
• 3rd Prize of Excellence of the Best Craftsman (2014)
• 1st Prize for Innovation at the National Exhibition of Social and Solidarity Economy in Morocco (2017)
• 3rd Prize for Circular Economy at the Salon Tournant de l'Economie Sociale et Solidaire in Senegal (2019)
• 2nd Prize at the Ivorian Handicraft Market (2021)

Mr. Ahoua is recognized as an approved trainer by the Fund for the Development of Vocational Training (FDFP) in the framework of Technical and Vocational Training in Côte d'Ivoire. He is also the President of the Union of Shoemakers, Bootmakers, Leatherworkers and Tanners of Côte d'Ivoire and the Vice President of the African Confederation of Leather Industries (Coafric)

Partnership with I&P and Comoé Capital

Gona Maroquinerie is supported by I&P Acceleration in Sahel program, which is implemented in Côte d'Ivoire by Comoé Capital sponsored by I&P. The support will essentially allow the company to increase its production capacity. Gona Maroquinerie will also benefit from the support of several consultants who will strengthen the brand's reputation, improve the production process and the quality of the articles, and revitalize the company's accounting and commercial functions.

Gain is a company in Côte d'Ivoire specialized in the development of administrative management software, the sale of access control systems in schools, and the automated control of staff presence and movements on site for companies.

The entrepreneur

The company was founded in 2020 by Guy Kouakou Attaboth Etchielou.

Holding a BTS in communication, he has worked as a freelance salesman in a company marketing poultry products and commercial ADELCI-Daloa. In 2006, he was charge of communication at Ivoire Finance microfinance. Then he ended up becoming head of agency within this structure from 2007 to 2008. He decided to set up his own business. With the help of one of his acquaintances, he developed an SMS messaging service between schools and parents, and later an administrative management and access control software for schools.

Partnership with I&P andComoé Capital

Gain is supported by I&P Acceleration in Sahel program, which is implemented in Côte d'Ivoire by Comoé Capital sponsored by I&P. The support will essentially enable the company to increase its production capacity and develop its brand. Gain will also benefit from the support of several consultants who will strengthen the technical capacities (software), boost the growth of the activity and revitalize the accounting and finance functions of the company.

DameGreen is a company specialized in the production and marketing of organic fertilizers in Mali.

The entrepreneur

This young company was founded in 2020 by Awa Dembélé an entrepreneur who is passionate about ecology and the environment. Awa held the positions of procurement manager and quality manager from 2018 to 2021 at Elephant Vert Mali, the national leader in organic fertilizer production. She also held the position of Project Assistant at the Institute of Rural Economy of Mali (IER) in 2017.

Partnership with I&P and Zira Capital

Damegreen is supported by Zira Capital through I&P Acceleration in Sahel. The main objective of this partnership is to :

• Increase the production capacity and improve the quality of finished products through the acquisition of more efficient equipment
• Finance the purchase of raw materials and related supplies from local suppliers (manure, organic waste, packaging)
• Support the company in strengthening its brand identity
• Structure the company's organization through the implementation of internal procedures

The Central Chaare-Tsedek University (UCC) is a university offering courses in law, economics, literature and humanities in Daloa, in west-central Côte d'Ivoire. This year, the university welcomed more than 137 students enrolled in 3 university faculties.

The entrepreneur

The university was founded by Franck Emmanuel Bleu in 2020.

With a Master's degree in Finance from the University of Bouaké, this entrepreneur worked as a financial engineer in SMEs in Côte d'Ivoire for 6 years before switching to teaching. He is a teacher-researcher in finance and risk management at private higher education institutions in the country and is also actively involved in several projects to create universities and grandes écoles. He has a solid experience and proven skills in the higher education sector. 

Partnership with I&P

UCC is supported by I&P through the education and employment component of I&P Acceleration in Sahel program.

The funding and support provided to UCC aims at :

• Fitting out and equipping classrooms adapted to e-learning courses
• Acquire equipment for a multimedia room
• Acquire a digital ERP solution Konosys and DOKENT for administrative management and e-learning courses
• Carry out a promotional/marketing campaign and improve its website

Supagro is a school based in Yamoussoukro, Ivory Coast, training in agriculture and management. The school was created to face the difficulties of recruitment in agriculture.

The entrepreneur

Supagro was created by Ange PETE, an entrepreneur in the agricultural field and started its activities in 2021.

Aged 40 and of Ivorian nationality, Ange PETE has more than 15 years of experience in France and in Ivory Coast both in banking (Deputy Financial Director of Groupama Bank in France) and in the startup environment (Country Head of Jumia Market and Commercial Director of Jumia Ivory Coast). He holds a Master of Science in Management (Entrepreneurship option) from HEC Paris and a DEA in Remote Sensing from the University of Cocody.

Partnership with I&P :

Supagro is supported by I&P through the education and employment component of  I&P Acceleration in Sahel.

The funding and support provided to Supagro aims at :

•  Fitting out and equipping dormitories, 3 classrooms and a computer room

Kouran Jabo, literally "they brought back the light" in local Arabic is a solar energy distributor in Chad. Founded in 2017, this company aims to make solar energy accessible to all social strata in Chad through the sale of solar lamps and kits to households, businesses and also training in installation and maintenance of solar equipment. More than 1118 households and small businesses have already been connected to solar energy, and 60 young people trained in the installation and maintenance of solar solutions.

The entrepreneur

Kouran Jabo was founded by Youssouf Mbodou Ali, a young 32 year old Chadian. Graduated in Management and Business from Lille1-Villeneuve d'Ascq France and Master specialized in Economic and Sociological Analysis of the Euro-Mediterranean zone delivered by ISCA group - Casablanca in Morocco and passionate about the community of his country, he held the position of Marketing and Project Manager of "We Share Property" in Dubai. When he launched Kouran Jabo, he hoped to make solar energy accessible and affordable to 110,000 households and support 600,000 people economically.

Partnership with I&P

Kouran Jabo is supported by I&P through I&P Acceleration in Sahel, funded by the European Union. The funding and support aims to :

• Restructure the administrative, financial, inventory and cash management systems
• Support the opening of 6 new points of sale
• Implement a new marketing and communication strategy
• Formalize 7 existing jobs and create 11 new regular and 11 seasonal jobs by 2023 
• Acquire 1,930 units of solar kits for sale 
• Support the company in raising more funds for the expansion of its activities
• Support the company in the implementation of the waste recycling process

Expected impacts

• Reduction  of polluting fuels (wood, charcoal, animal dung) and deforestation 
• Reinforcement of continuous access to energy in remote areas  
• Improvement of household income through the creation of related activities (telephone booth, battery charging station)