Benin

Photo of Elisabeth Atchade, a cashew farmer in Benin

One Year of COVID-19: Elisabeth Atchade, Cashew Farmer in Benin

In this series, we check back with TechnoServe program participants previously featured on our blog, documenting how their lives have changed and progressed. In our previous story on Elisabeth Atchade, a cashew farmer in Benin, the COVID-19 pandemic and resultant market panic left her with uncertainty about the future of her cashew production. Find out how she is doing now, eight months later.

Agriculture, Cashews, COVID-19
Resilience During COVID-19
A photo of a woman standing in a field of coffee wearing a mask in Peru. Text says

Hope and Resilience During COVID-19: Part 2

For over 50 years, TechnoServe has helped hardworking women and men in the developing world gain the skills, connections, and confidence to create self-sustaining businesses and build a path out of poverty. In part two of this series, we ask a few of these farmers and entrepreneurs to share how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted their lives and how they are coping with its effects.

Agriculture, Cashews, Youth Economic Opportunity
COVID 19
Entrepreneur Virginie Adounon owns two hair salons in Bohicon, Benin.

In Benin, Hairdressing Offers New Opportunities for Women Entrepreneurs

When Virginie Adounon first opened her beauty salon in Bohicon, Benin, she was not keeping track of her sales or giving herself a salary, and she could not save up enough money to make necessary upgrades to her shop. After joining a TechnoServe program called BeniBiz, she gained the skills she needed to run a profitable business, even during a pandemic.

COVID-19, Entrepreneurship
Small and Growing Businesses, Small business, Women entrepreneurs, Women's Economic Empowerment
A man picks a cashew apple from a tree in Benin

Digital Solutions Help Cashew Farmers and Trainers in Benin

Cashew has the potential to transform Benin’s economy – and the lives of the smallholder farmers who grow it. However, many farmers lack the technical knowledge they need to get the best harvest from their cashew orchards. TechnoServe is developing a digital chatbot to help farmer trainers quickly access the information they need, allowing them to effectively support more farmers.

Agriculture, Cashews, Labs, Technology
TNSLabs
Elisabeth Atchade lives in Benin with her husband and four children

Addressing Gender-Specific Challenges for Women Cashew Farmers in Benin

For women and girls in the developing world, COVID-19 is exacerbating existing inequities and creating new challenges. In Benin, women cashew farmers like Elisabeth Atchade must juggle many responsibilities, including earning money for the household while also taking on the majority of child care responsibilities. Learn how a TechnoServe program is helping women address these challenges and emerge from the crisis even stronger.

Agriculture, Cashews, COVID-19, Women's Economic Empowerment