SONGHAI CENTER's Page

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Academic/research, Network, Nonprofit organization, Telecentre

Organization

SONGHAI CENTER

About Me (biography and organization description)

The Songhai Center is a non-governmental organization created in 1985. Its headquarter is in Porto-Novo, Republic of Benin. It is named after the powerful and prosperous Malian empire that marked the history of West Africa between the 14th and 15th century.

Songhai Center believes that the best way to fight poverty is to transform the poor people into active producers because the logic of generative and responsible use of resources does not limit itself to just giving (resources) but get them to circulate within the social fabric of communities to make them produce themselves. Songhai invents ZERI (Zero Emission Research initiative) which is a consequence of its determination to translate its sustainable development principle into action. At Songhai, the wastes or by-products from a sector are recycled and become valuable inputs in another sector. For example, vegetable by-products and animal wastes are used to produce biogas, fertilizers and insect larvae. Aquatic plants are used as living machines for purification. Post harvest by-products are used to grow mushrooms, etc.
Songhai becomes a regional organization supported by UN. Its programme will soon start in Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Malawi and Togo.

Songhai established telecentres in four Regions in Benin: Porto-Novo (South), Savalou (Center), Parakou (North), Lokossa (South west). Through many communication technologies such as VOIP, WI FI, distance learning in agriculture and very soon a community radio, the telecentres reduce the cost of transaction for the local communities and help to build entrepreneurs zones.

In order to support telecentre.org activities, by strengthening the telecentre community Songhai hosts the Community Facilitator team for the French telecentre community.

Areas of interest/expertise and types of services provided:

Sustainable agriculture, Training, Research, Food processing, Marketing, Community telecentre, ICT4D

Website

http://www.songhai.org

Phone

+229 20246092 +229 20246881

Street Address

Route de Ouando

City (or closest town or municipality)

Porto-Novo

Country

Benin

Region

Western Africa

Languages (in order of preference):

French, English