Project title
Togo Tilé (the sun of Togo)
Location and country
Mali, Segou region, municipality of Sebougou, village of Togo
Target group
Women in Segou and other Malian regions, who depend on the use of firewood for the preparation of their meals.
Short project description
In the autumn of 2013, the initiator, Seydou Coulibaly, started to introduce, produce and sell CooKits together with a Dutch couple. Thus came into being the Association Togo Tilé. When this proved to be a success, KoZon asked them to submit a plan for the creation of a production and sales centre to further disseminate integrated solar cooking (ISC) in the Segou region as well as in other Malian regions.
Based on this plan KoZon decided to support the project/business through amongst others the purchase of a piece of land, the construction of a small workshop and storage space, a working capital for the basic supply of CooKits and hay baskets, a moped and the wage costs of Seydou and an instructor/saleswoman. The business is to run independently after two years.
Implementation period
June 2014 – June 2016
Budget
For 2 years a total amount of € 14,812, including one working visit by the project coordinator.
Financing
Solar Cooking KoZon and other sponsors, among others Rotary Club Wageningen.
Implementing organisation
- Association Togo Tilé
Director: Seydou Coulibaly, Sebougou, Segou, Mali - Solar Cooking KoZon:
Coordinator: Piet Sluimer
Present state of affairs
Togo Tilé started with the production and sales of CooKits and in the course of the year added hay baskets and solar boxes to its product range. Demand for hay baskets in particular is large: they sell (mid-2015) 75 per month. Total monthly turnover is about 2,000 Euro.
The business is spreading its wings very fast. It now has a permanent staff of four. It also employs a number of production employees and saleswomen who receive piecework pay. Togo Tilé has opened sales outlets in Segou, Bamako and Sikasso and plans to open sales outlets in other large Malian cities as well. Seydou is aiming for national coverage.
Togo Tilé mainly looks for its customers among the urban middle class. But thanks to a well-organised reimbursement system, poorer women are also able to acquire cooking appliances with the money they save on the purchase of firewood.
In June 2015, KoZon gave the director, Seydou Coulibaly, the opportunity to pay a working visit to Solar Connect Association in Uganda. Armed with his own experience and subsequent to the knowledge he acquired over there, he organised business training sessions in August 2015 for Kozon project leaders in Senegal and Burkina Faso.