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FrançaisSupporting African SMEs to ensure sustainable growth: two entrepreneurs share their experience
Submitted by on Thu, 02/18/2016 - 17:15
The platform Capacity4dev.eu recently published an article and a series of interviews to explain and demonstrate the role of African Small and Medium Enterprises for the development of the continent.
Sidi Khalifou (CDS in Mauritania), Khadidiatou Nakoulima (NEST in Senegal) and Emilie Debled from I&P were interviewed during the European Development Days, held on June 3 and 4 in Brussels.
Small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) will play an important role in growth on the African continent, as localised business models can ensure that growth is sustainable and inclusive. “[Small businesses] have an impact because they are entirely integrated into the local fabric, so they are capable of understanding the needs of the local population, and they are capable of delivering responses that can be adapted to their needs,” said Emilie Debled.
Created 35 years ago, CDS is a company committed to providing access to water and electricity services for all, and especially in the rural and isolated zones of Northern Mauritania. In 2014, 20,000 people were given access to drinking water. Sidi Khalifou is a Mauritanian engineer and entrepreneur. He co-founded ECODEV, an NGO committed to local development and environmental issues in West Africa. He joined CDS in 2010 (then run by his father) and has since then largely developed the activities of the company in the field of renewable energies.
Founded in 2012, NEST provides a complete monitoring of woman and children thanks to a pediatric and maternity hospital. NEST offers high-quality health services at reasonable price, primarily aimed at middle classes. Accessible 24/24 and 7/7, NEST puts a particular emphasis seeing and listening to patients, and allows young women of child-breeding age to be followed until the birth, and a follow-up of their children until they are 15 years old. Khadidiatou Nakoulima grew up in Senegal and graduated from Mines de Paris in 2009.She founded NEST in 2012 and she aims at establishing a health network dedicated to woman and children in West Africa for low and middle-income populations.
About Capacity4dev.eu
Capacity4dev.eu is the European Commission’s primary online knowledge sharing platform on development, external cooperation and policy. Launched in 2009 it now has over 17,200 members including staff from DEVCO and other European Commission directorates, the European External Action Service, EU member states, partner governments, civil society, academia and the private sector.