Report of the internship done at the headquarters of the

international NGO AQUADEV in the project Biomasse

Energie Sngal BIOES.
by
Astrid Akoyoko master student in Sustainable Development Uppsala University , Uppsala,
Sweden.

Done as part of the course Sustainable Development internship 30hp

July 2011-february 2012

Brussels,Belgium.
1

Contents
Introduction ............................................................................................................................ 3
1. Project context ....................................................................................................................... 5
1.1. Prsentation of NGO AQUADEV and Senegal. ................................................................ 5
1.2 AQUADEV partners ........................................................................................................... 6
2. BIOES project .......................................................................................................................... 9
2.1 Wood Planted ................................................................................................................. 12
2.2Reference Area. ............................................................................................................... 12
2.2 logical framework. .......................................................................................................... 13
3.My internship ........................................................................................................................ 14
3.1. Reviewing of previous BIOES documentation. .............................................................. 14
3.2. Restructuring the project .............................................................................................. 15
3.2.1 AQUADEV values ..................................................................................................... 15
3.2.2 Sustainable development dynamics within BIOES .................................................. 15
3.3. Searching and documenting myself on carbon forestry project by agencies for
environmental projects. ....................................................................................................... 16
3.4. Establishing official documents describing and presenting BIOES project. .................. 16
3.5. Searching for potential partners, find funding from institutions and organizing
meetings. .............................................................................................................................. 17
3.5.1 In Senegal ................................................................................................................ 17
3.5.2 In Europe and internationally.................................................................................. 17
3.5.3 Private sector partners ............................................................................................ 17
3.6 Update informations and dvelopment of a new strategy. ........................................... 17
3.6.1 Initial Project structure............................................................................................ 18
3.6.2 Project structure after key-meetings ...................................................................... 19
4. What strategy to move forward........................................................................................... 21
5.Risk analysis of strategie 3 ................................................................................................... 22
Conclusion ................................................................................................................................ 24

Introduction

As part of my master's program in Sustainable Development, I did an internship of 32 weeks

in the international NGO AQUADEV. This internship has related but distinct objectives:
Academic objective: allow me to apply the knowledge gained through my program in
sustainable development;
Professional objective: to allow me to acquire a working knowledge of a Non Governmental
Organization daily life
Personal objective: to gain international and multicultural experience.
My training took place as part of a project which in the long term will be implemented in
Senegal and specifically in the region of Casamance. This is a partnership between AQUADEV
and BES a commercial enterprise based in Casamance, this partnership aims for the
production of wood energy and its commercialization by local people. In the long term the
project will enable people to achieve financial self-sufficiency, create employment in the
Casamance community and eliminate their habit of harvesting timber in the disappearing
forests that surround their villages. My tasks were to:
Review previous BIOES documentation:

Document herself on ongoing carbon forestry projects in Africa and certification

procedure for Clean Development Mechanisms.

Identify agencies operating on environmental projects and identifying potential

partners for the carbon forestry part of the project.

Analyse BIOES documentation, draft the project to include the necessary objectives
of its community-based development and restructure the project to include
Sustainable Development dynamics: Environmental + Economic + Social.

Project drafting and donors research:

Update the NGO donors database and create a new update with previously unidentified institutional donors as well as potential private donors.

Project design, project proposal and funding proposal drafting.

Project logical Framework drafting.

Identify relevant project calls and submit project proposals

Identify key potential partners in Senegal and Belgium and organizing meetings.

Project Marketing:

Project marketing strategy development directed to European institutions,

international and private institutions.

Contribute in cooperation with the marketing manager to the development of the

marketing strategy of the project.

Identify in cooperation with the marketing manager of private institutions wanting to

invest in Cooperate Social Responsibility projects.

Team member in the development of a short animated movie for marketing purpose
directed to prospective donors.

Translation work (French-to-English and English-to-French) of the project documents

1. Project context
1.1. Prsentation of NGO AQUADEV and Senegal.

Prsentation of AQUADEV

AQUADEV is an international NGO, active since 1987. It currently has offices in Brussels
(Belgium), Dakar (Senegal), Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso), Niamey (Niger) and Kigali
(Rwanda). Until 2011 the Dakar office had a
status of regional representation, AQUADEV
had concluded with the Senegalese state an
agreement which gave the Senegalese office
an headquarters status in this country.
Recognized for its expertise in the field areas
of microfinance, food security, environment
and sustainable development, its activities
have for objective the structural reduction
of poverty on the African continent. Many
African peoples have their life marked by
daily insecurity and in order to stop this
occurrence the NGO works to stimulate
endogenous development guided by critical
reason.

Therefore,

AQUADEV

always

collaborates with local stakeholders in

sectors identified as crucial drivers of
development:

microfinance,

integrated

development towards food security and

Some of AQUADEV projects :

i) Programme de Renforcement de
la Nutrition au Sngal, financed by
the World Bank;
ii) Nouvelle Nutrition Niger (NNN),
financed by UE ; budget of
2.400.000 ;

ii) La caravane du bien-tre familial

au Niger financed by the UE; budget
of 1.349.871,44 ;
iv) PROMIA, Programme de
Renforcement des Organisations de
Microfinance Africaines financed by
DGCD ; budget of 2.623.460,80 ;

v) AFRAC, Appui au Financement

Rural en Afrique Centrale (Rwanda)
financed by FBS ; budget of
2.566.633 ; etc.

sustainable development.
In 2007 she celebrated 20 years of existence. This powerful experience of development
cooperation helped build a deep understanding in the field and develop an approach
tailored to this reality. The challenges of increasingly complex development, AQUADEV
works with professionalism and rationality to be a development specialist with a constant
concern of the impact of its actions. Currently, the NGO is implementing many projects in
various fields, for the benefit of rural populations. Through strict financial and accounting
5

procedures, AQUADEV is an NGO

based in Belgium, including the
consolidated financial statements
are certified "unqualified" by an
independent auditor.

Casamance.

Casamance is a region in southern

Senegal it is separated from the
rest of Senegal by The Gambia. In
Casamance agricultural and
pastoral activities are the traditional sources of income of peasants; this part of Senegal is
the wettest region of the country formerly known as the granary of Senegal. The area near
Ziguinchor accumulates on average up to 1200 mm of rainfall annually. Agricultural activities
are mainly the cultivation of food crops (millet, rice, sorghum, maize, ...) and those of cash
crops (cotton, peanut, etc.).
Regarding livestock in rural areas, it is mainly the management of herds of animals for
grazing. Other income activities as well as subsistence activities include fishing, tourism
related jobs and growing fruit trees and vegetable. The Casamance population is composed
of several ethnic groups; the most important number is the Diola community (60.9% of the
population), then the Mandingo community (9.3%), the Pulaar (8.8%), Wolof (4.8%) and
other groups each representing less than 4%. In terms of gender, 49.4% of the population is
male, the remaining 50.6% being women. With regard to religious denominations, the
majority of the population are Christians, Muslims and animists are also present. The
peasants are and remain authorized to use of lands under the supervision of the State.

1.2 AQUADEV partners

Bois Energie Sngal (BES) Wood Energy Senegal; and Production Electricit
Casamance (PEC) Electricity Production Casamance.

BES has been doing business in the area of Ziguinchor for 4 years now and is currently
working in partnership with the people of the region, in order to technically and financially
support the implementation of forestry good practices to produce wood energy. BES officials
call their investment "green business": a profitable activity that supports rural populations in
the improvement and diversification of their sources of income. Since 2007, BES technically
and financially supports planting activities via a pre-financing. In 2008, the investment made
by was about 959,300.

In BIOES, BES is a private actor that will act, upstream, as a provider of the

main services services. Thus, it provides inputs to forest nurseries and

small forestry equipment. It provides technical interventions (cutting and
transporting wood) by machines and equipment at the request of
paysants.
PEC is a private partner, who plans to set up a power plant (3 MW) using some of the wood
produced. It is therefore the downstream of the project BIOES and aims to produce and sell
electricity to the Socit Nationale dElectricit du Snegal (SENELEC) National Electricity
Company of Senegal which has adequate rural distribution networks. Senelec intends to use
private companies to achieve additional units of electricity, in order to solve the problems of
rural electrification in the whole Snegal, therefore future synergies and contacts have been
established in this direction.

Alliance pour LEpargne et le Credit (ACEP) Alliance of Credit and Savings for
Production.

ACEP is a microfinance institution (MFI) based in Dakar. Thanks to the confidence it has on
AQUADEV it has expressed its interest in financing up to CFA 324,916,800 million ( 495,300)
of the microcredit needed by the foresters. ACEP will grant microcredit to paysant
individually or in group every time the need will be felt.

Other Partners

Funds will also be sought from donors for the establishment and maintenance of firewalls to
prevent bushfires. As for costs associated with training and mentoring, funding requests will
be introduced to some donors (EC, AFD, etc..) active in Senegal and private investors.

Local representation of public authorities.

It concerns mainly local representation of technical services of water and forests, prefects of
departments, sub-prefects of the districts and presidents of rural councils (local authorities)
of the areas concerned. They participate in the project by giving their support to peasant by
facilitating administrative procedure and land law procedure. The Senegalese government is
then be involved at the local level, allowing peasant to benefit from the experience of water
services and forestry in this area. The technical and managerial skills of local authorities will
also be strengthened by the project, to enable them to play their role effectively.

Local people

Under BIOES a distinction between target groups and final beneficiaries is irrelevant; indeed,
the target group, the final beneficiaries and the partners are the peasant and their
households. Approximately 16,000 people will directly benefit the project, assuming an
average of four people and an area of 3 hectares per household. They are owners or
beneficial owners of their lands, in accordance with administrative and traditional
authorities. The recommended model is an agricultural familial one, they can work
individually or in group, but since they generally lack real capacity to self-organize to defend
their own interests, AQUADEV is responsible for their training for this purpose. The peasant
association model built in 2008 by BES will be transformed to Groupe dintert Economique
(GIE) Economic Interest Group at the request of the peasants themselves. Three GIEs will be
established for this purpose.

2. BIOES project
Le projet, Biomasse Energie Sngal (BIOES) was conceived and developed in 2010 after a
meeting between the Director General of AQUADEV Eric Driesen and Laurent Minguet CEO
of BES. This is a partnership with BES sarl which is already established in Casamance and
have agro forestry activities since 2007.
Senegal has set ambitious goals so as to provide energy at the lowest cost to its people and
economic operators, the rate of household access to electrical energy by 2015 has been set
to 66% (30% rural). To help achieve this goal, AQUADEV in partnership with local farmers
and foresters in collaboration with companies BES and PEC, is implementing the project
BIOES in Casamance. This is to provide technical and financial support to peasant in order for
them to produce wood with professionalism and complete independence from external
actors, to affordably meet their energy needs. Overall, the area to be reforested by 2014 by
peasant represents an area of 12,000 hectares spread over a range of sites identified for this
purpose. Currently, the authorization to produce firewood and the protection of this
production is guaranteed by a contract which involves four parties: farmers owners of the
land, rural municipalities that is the public authority empowered to grant allocation of land,
the deputy prefect representing the state and the potential purchaser of firewood.

Firewood plantation objectives by

hectares (Ha, land unit of
measurement, 1Ha=100m2).
Translation:
Ha plants=panted Ha;
Ha accumuls=accumulated Ha

Identified sites are villages located around small towns of Bignona, Sedhiou, and Zinguishor

Identified sites : (Rf :

10

Google Earth)

Others identified sites are distributed around several locations: Kerakounda, Dialaba, Sar
Sambel, Fulbe Touba, Touba Soc, Baghagha, and Adeane Niadme.
The first phase (> 1000 ha)

Launched in 2007 by BES, 1,000

hectares was afforested by
2009 and the timber
harvesting has already taken
place. After this first phase, it
appears that the appropriate
support producers encourage the development of good forestry practices and associated
risk control.
Second phase (20,000 ha)
This phase begins with the collaboration of AQUADEV and the creation of BIOES. It aims to
create conditions for sustainable production of wood energy in Casamance, in partnership
with the local population. This activity not only allows producers to diversify their sources of
income but also increase their purchasing power through the sale of timber. Then, it will
help to increase rural electricity supply based on biomass. The period of implementation of
the project is spread over 48 months.
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2.1 Wood Planted

The trees selected for planting meet several characteristics. These are species
with rapid growth and good calorific value, after a cut at 30 cm from the soil, trees must be
able to growth back. They are preferably symbiotic fixers of atmospheric nitrogen, enriching
the soil naturally without require fertilization, called "legumes."
The species planted are mainly Acacia auriculiformis, the leucocephala Leucenae
Eucalyptus camaldulensis (non-legume). Other local species can also be
selected and planted by the company but to a lesser extent. In general, trees are
planted on each plot in the following proportions: 80% eucalyptus and 20% acacia.

Seedling nursery

2.2Reference Area.

100m

1ha= 10 000 m2 = area of a square of 100 m.

1km=10ha
1km2=100ha =1 000 000 m2

100m

Reference area
1 ha

100ha
1

Seedling nursery (on a

surface of 0.5ha)
Number of plants / ha

2.000

200.000

Wood production costs /

ha

30 tons per
year

3.000 tons per year

Production of dry matter

/ ha

20 tons per
year

1.500 tons per year

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2.2 logical framework.

The logical framework is a document is a management tool mainly used in the design,
monitoring and evaluation of international development projects. It is also widely known as
Goal Oriented Project Planning (GOPP) or Objectives Oriented Project Planning (OOPP). It is a
tool that is use in AQUADEV to analyse and correctly estimated the impact of planned
activities. It is nowadays required by most of the international donnals as a project
proposal.The following is the logical framework of BIOES.

Final Objective

The living conditions of farmers have sustainable improved.

Specific Objectives
Forestry is more profitable and environmentally-friendly

Results
The GIE are made A mechanism for
sustainable forestry
operational
certification is available

Access to microcredit
for investment is
negotiated

Peasant training
and technical
supervision are
reinforced

Activities

Help the peasant establish their Establish a business plan (investment, operating expenses, profit, etc.).
Support the development of three GIE (Groupement dInteret Ecconomic), Association of Economic
interest;
Supporting producers through technical training in forestry
Support peasant in the control and ownership of seedling nursery;
Define a proper support plan to improve natural resources management and financial management of
GIE partners;
Prefinancing part of operating expenses by the buyer;
Access by individuals or groups to ACEP microcredit ;
Establish a certification mechanism to state that all timber production steps and forest management
are met by peasant;
Negotiate with GIE possible areas of plantation;
Negotiate the role of government.

13

3.My internship
During my internship I was responsible for specific tasks that contributed to my continuous
impregnation of contextual information about the project and they allowed me to develop
the project strategy. Some of these tasks were decided together with my supervisor, and the
rest were found as a necessity as my internship progressed.

3.1. Reviewing of previous BIOES documentation.

The project was conceived in 2010 ,at the beginning 3 persons were working there but
dropped the project in mid-2010's due to the inability of the NGO to secure funding from
donors and the fact that they contract were terminated within the NGO. The documentation
was numerous and extensive knowledge of it was needed. It consisted of:
-The pre-project note. Which is a document prepared as to give an overview of the project
and is generally asked by donors at the announcement of project call. Donors read the note
and the project is selected or not for the next step which is usually about sending the project
note which describes in detail what the project will consist of with more technical details.
-The project note that details how the project will be done. It consists at the introduction of
a description of what biomass is in Africa and the work of AQUADEV; a detailed description
of the project and the expected impact to the people; the presentation of the project
intervention areas; potential funding for the project and its ability to be duplicated
elsewhere.
-The mission report dated 2010.Ce report was prepared after a field visit in April 2010.Il was
a good source of information. The purpose of the mission was to visit the plantation sites,
evaluate the partnership structure, meet potential partners and evaluate what has been
done before.
-The business plan of BES and PEC. Highly technical in describing his intgralits and in great
detail the projects financial structure BIOES in terms of entities and PEC BES, this document
also contains information about a production volume of wood per hectare per site costs
production per hectare and per ton of wood. Information about the Expected energy output
per ton of wood.
-A document describing Senegalese Land Law .A great source of information for
understanding the land dimension of the project.
-Newspaper articles describing the timber market. These articles describe the opportunities,
14

risks and estimates concerning future in the timber industry in the world.
-Emails exchanged between members of the first team. They were an important source of
information to track the exchange of information and to obtain some information that I
would not have been given not fast enough.
-Agency responses when contacted. Those documents were sent in response to requests for
funding.
-Internet. Used while reading the various documents to cross-checked informations.

3.2. Restructuring the project

3.2.1 AQUADEV values
AQUADEV firmly believes that the peasant in need is himself the actor of his development. In
the model of development aid recommended by AQUADEV, the farmer is a participatory
actor inserted at every stage of the project so that by the end of the project we obtain a
sustainable community that had acquired techniques of his own development.

Capacity development is clearly

highlighted and is integrated in all activities and steps. AQUADEV stands against the current
policy of non-development capability, the goal should not be to create addiction to aid but
rather to encourage and promote long-term capacity independence.
3.2.2 Sustainable development dynamics within BIOES
To ensure the sustainability of this project and the importance of its social impact on the
lives of farmers and their economic and environmental aspects of the project, ensuring that
the principles of sustainable development are taken into consideration was normal. Put the
project at the junction of BIOES dimensions social, economic and environmental dimension.
15

3.3. Searching and documenting myself on carbon forestry project by

agencies for environmental projects.
It was the most passionate part of the internship when came to make research on specific
issues. It was about browsing the internet about everything concerning credit carbon. I
researched on projects in Africa with the similar specification as BIOES. When it comes to
climate change issues one of the mechanisms developed by the United Nation Framework
on Climate Change (UNFCCC) concerned how to avoid developing countries to produce
carbon emissions while retaining their chances to achieve economic development. the
UNFCCC developed the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) where developed countries
or companies from developed countries will invest on carbon reduction project in
developing countries in exchange of the carbon credit which they will then use as permit
to pollute. One carbon credit represents 1 ton of carbon, for every 1 ton of carbon absorbed
from the atmosphere 1 credit carbon will be emitted. Companies or countries could then
either buy those credit or exchange them, 1 carbon credit allow the county or the company
to emit 1 ton of carbon to the atmosphere. I had to find project similar to BIOES and collect
information about how they proceed, what measure they used, what type of project were
eligible for CDM, what was the criteria to be eligible, how much one credit worth and what
international organization to contact to get registration and what was the overall procedure.
I made research on Africa, Latin America and Asia.

3.4. Establishing official documents describing and presenting BIOES

project.
This task was necessary since all the documents were full of details but lack a clear
explanation about the project itself. I had to read all the documentations a dozen of times to
grasp the whole picture of the project, nothing was clearly stated about AQUADEV role or
amount of involvement, everything was written from the BES and PEC perspective but it was
difficult to grasp the development side of the project. When I read the documentation
send back to AQUADEV by potential donors, they express the exact lack of clarity I noticed
when reading the documentation made available to me.
One template was needed to have a clear picture of the project and from that template or
project description baseline different project notes would then be establish so as to
accommodate different donors or institutions.

16

3.5. Searching for potential partners, find funding from institutions and
organizing meetings.
3.5.1 In Senegal
. In order to identify potential partner in Senegal I did a thorough study of available
documents as well as I looked for information on the internet. On that, the 2010 mission
report was really helpful I use it to re-connect when possible, with people that have been
contacted during that mission. I also looked for international donors that were already in
operation in Senegal and those which area of donation include Senegal. I looked on the
internet for NGOs operating in Casamance, women NGOs , Youth NGOs and any local
organisation. Calls were made and meeting were organized in AQUADEV HQ
3.5.2 In Europe and internationally
I used internet to search for donors and organisations that might have donation programs
that cover Senegal. I enlist to several internet databases which make daily update about
available fund and others opportunities. I kept myself informed about every major fund
announcements from the main traditional donors. I used the lists of donors provide to me by
AQUADEV and I used the internet to go to each of them to update information about those
donors.
3.5.3 Private sector partners.
This particular part was done in partnership with the Marketing and Fundraising Manager.
We have to identify private companies that would be interested in investing in the project as
part of their Cooperate Social Responsibility strategy in the long term. For that a mailing list
was established as well as a mailing prospectus, a document describing the project was to be
designed which will be mailed to various organisations as well as private companies, a short
animated movie will be made to describe the project and to be put on the webpage and to
be presented to private companies and finally an event will be organized to officially launch
the project.

3.6 Update informations and dvelopment of a new strategy.

In order to update all project information I had to be in touch with the PDG of BES and PEC
to have updated information about actual production estimate and what was the actual

17

project stage in Senegal. Internet was used to update other information as well, such as the
current CDM procedure, CDM project requirement, and others technical information.
Updated informations were needed in order to re-think the initial strategy, since from the
start no strategy was clearly established, in order for the project to move forward and to be
a success. The new strategy was to be developed in collaboration with the Marketing and
Fundraising manager and the Project manager, and to a certain extent with other partners.

3.6.1 Initial Project structure

BES-Local villagers
BES sign
agreements with
villages high
authorities upon
BES, a private
Villages with unused
which BES pays
company producing
agricultural land.
villagers and
firewood.
provide them with
agricultural
materials and
seeds so that they
produce
wood.
Land law context in Senegal wants that the
land is state
owned but farmers are considered
usufructers of the land if they use them as part of agricultural activity. More than the peasants it is
mainly the village which is considered usufructer of the land. But many leave the land un-used
because of the peculiarity of Casamance soil , in fact soils quickly lose their fertility after a few years
of use and do not recover it. Those unused land go back to the property of the state. BES after
establishing contact with the authorities of a village and identifying the areas that can be used, sign a
contract for land use with the villagers. The contract is a mutual commitment for the sale of the
wood produced by peasants to BES for a guaranteed price over a period of 6 years.
BES pays an advance to the peasants and provides equipment and eucalyptus seeds. The seeds are
planted in seedling nurseries that are maintained by peasants, when the growth is large enough, they
are planted by peasants in the sites, and the plants are maintained and protected for 4 years, after 4
years trees are cut down by farmers and sold to BES has a predetermined price. Plants will be used
in the long-term by PEC to produce electricity.

18

AQUADEV-BES
AQUADEV and BES have in common the socio-economic well-being of Casamance populations; under
BIOES, the relationship between NGOs and the company is similar to a business-to-Business.
AQUADEV contributes 1 million 500 thousand euro of the total project budget, on top of that
AQUADEV brings its expertise in the field of rural development, to cover certain socio-economic
aspects of the project.

AQUADEV-Villagers
Socio-economic aspects covered by AQUADEV define its relationship with the villagers in the project.
To exercise its set of specifications in the project, AQUADEV share of BIOES budget is made of 100%
funds by donors. In fact the role of AQUQDEV concerns:
i) Assist farm families in daily land management (procedure for allocation of land).
ii) Social support for the establishment of GIE.
iii) Providing financial assistance.

3.6.2 Project structure after key-meetings

From meetings organized with actual and potentials partner in Sngal a certain number of
issues were raised that had affected the project.

Issues with the local population

Production after the initial 4 years was not as expected. The first phase was supposed to
produce 1,000 ha of firewood by 2009 but effectively ended this year with 400 ha instead. It
was discussed at the meeting that the planting follow-up that was supposed to be done
continuously has not been done correctly and when it was finally done, only 400 ha of the
1000ha planted produced the expected timber.
The remaining 600 ha, did not produced wood because of various reasons such as fire,
termites and abandonment.

19

Reasons such as fire and termite attack are surprising given that among the materials
available to the villagers there were fire-fighting equipment and anti-termite material. But
since it was not possible to make a field visit in Casamance, we can only make hypothesis
based on interviews of some partners working and living in Casamance who have knowledge
of local practices.The access to land and village participation is only possible thanks to the
trust between BES and local authorities represented by village chiefs, but it is possible for
individuals to sign a production contract with BES. But because of the financial advantages
that represent advances given by BES and the selling price of timber, there is some
competition between villages and villagers for this contract. Fires were triggered during the
rainy season (less prone to fire) and only in wood plantations and not in adjacent fields, so
we can theorize at this level that fires are an expression of discontent of villages or of
individuals in relation to choice of BES to invest in a village over another or a person rather
than another.
In addition, Senegalese land legislation on usufructuary declares owner anyone who uses a
given field, that allows unscrupulous individuals to grab land traditionally used by one
person or even a village. This is possible because to declare usufructuary of land a person or
community must be register with the forest guard and thus obtains a legal right to use land.
We can therefore say that there is a failure on the part of BES in its way of approaching the
local authorities or even individuals at first, and a deep ignorance of local social practices
when it comes to land practices in a second. This failure has a direct effect on the production
of wood as it is the cause of the loss of nearly 60% of total production.
The social side of timber production in the project is part of what AQUADEV is in charge of in
BIOES, BES as a company is more interested in his profit and gave less importance than it

20

should to local realities and social norms which has had a disastrous effect on wood
production.

Partners financial involvement

Given the investment required for the maintenance of 1000 hectares, the failure
represented by 600ha represents a huge loss for the project BIOES. Taking into account their
loss, the partner BES decided to stop investing in seedling nurseries and instead focus on the
maintenance of 400 acres they currently have on hand. This means they must prevent the
villagers from cutting trees and they need to find economically viable investment for wood
obtained from 400 ha which corresponds to 8000 ton of wood.

From the perspective of the project BIOES, AQUADEV will find a little more funding than was
expected, as BES does not want to invest more than what has already been done, whether in
nurseries or other thing especially as the operating budget planned for 4 years has been
substantially exceeded.

4. What strategy to move forward.

Although the project is still ongoing, BES, the company is taking a different path, while the
biomass plant is still in draft; it cannot be implemented this year as was the plan but perhaps
in four years. There are a number of possible alternatives for the continuation of the project
but a strategy must be clearly established.
Strategy 1: The production of charcoal, wood-based product is always sustainably better
when it is not obtained from the forest surrounding the villages. The 400ha when harvested

21

will produce produce 8000 ton of wood, charcoal ovens can be installed near the plantations

to produce charcoal.

Strategy 2: Export wood internationally.

Strategy 3: Maintain the project as originally thought while taking into account information
obtained from the current progress of things.

5.Risk analysis of strategie 3

Physical hazards:
Fire: the placement of firewalls sufficiently wide and well maintained can limit these risks
to a minimum.
Spread of infection: quarantine treatments adapted.
Presence of mine.
Environmental risks:
Loss of biodiversity: the plantations occupy vacant land, with little biological value. The
spacing between rows is increased relative to what is practiced in intensive farms to enable
22

the development of flora and fauna at feet of the trees.

Fatigue soil: at the time of cutting timber, unharvested material (twigs, bark remains, ...)
will be left on site and serve as a natural fertilizer. The spacing between rows is increased
relative to what is practiced in intensive farms in order to limit soil loss. Moreover, between
the rows can be used to settle food crops. A nitrogen-fixing species is also used to minimize
gaps and this element (Acacia).
Decline in water table: this risk is not relevant given that the cumulative annual rainfall
reaches 1,200 mm in some areas. In addition, selected species are known for their ability to
adapt to water availability, reducing their taxes in times of water shortage.
Political risks:
Conflicts separatists in Casamance: the direct involvement of GIE in this project gives them
a bond of strong ownership and activities of the project is largely immune to the adverse
effects of this rebellion.
Disengagement and instability of state services.
Socio-economic risks:
Conflicts of interest between producers: through the establishment of GIE, a transparent
system of management in decision making is introduced.
Weakening of social balance in rural communities: the GIE are the guarantors of the public
interest in accordance with customary practices and prerogatives of local traditional leaders.
Problem of disposal of production: pre-purchase reduced the risks associated with flow
problem.
Loss of part or the entire crop: setting up a guarantee fund to secure the production by all
producers or with the support of an MFI and managed by GIE.

23

Conclusion

Plus

Minus

A lot when it comes to how an

Organisation works and how an
NGO works. I didnt know that
looking for fund was the most
important part of every project. I
have learned a lot about other
aspects of the life of an NGO
through the staff who was very
helpful, I also learn a lot on
subjects concerning other
activities of the NGO.
To be able to apply my
teamwork skills gained during
my studies was great. And to see
how brainstorming can really
produce ideas that can be turn
into reality was amazing.

It was quite difficult to obtain

prcised information
sometimes since my supervisor
was not always reachable.

My work

What I have learned

Team work

Work under pressure and It was a great training

stress
opportunity to assess my ability
to work under stress. I am quite
happy to discover that it does
not affect my work, and I am
very good in not paying
attention to distraction on the
work place.

24

I have discovered that in a

team I am more like a diplomat
and pacifier, somebody work
into resolving conflicts. I am
not sure I like it, especially
when the people involved have
a complete lack of
professionalism.
To discover that 80% of the
pressure and stress is due to
your colleagues was not a
happy moment. I was in a
office with a person who was
the biggest source of stress in
the NGO due to her behaviour.
Having to deal with her, her
gossiping, her noise, her
constant talking ect...was the
most difficult part of the
internship. Ignoring her while
being polite was very very

Conflict resolution

Positive thinking

Project Ethics

My future in an NGO

25

difficult.
I had the opportunity to witness The workplace is not the place
to relax. If you dont have a
firsthand the type of conflicts
that may happen in a workplace. peaceful home to return to,
having a workplace where you
Those conflicts can be work
related or just personal related. I handle conflict in a daily basis
have learned a lot about minding can kill you.
my business and focus on my
tasks but also about the general
atmosphere of the workplace
can affect somebodys mind.

It was difficult to keep it. The

NGO was going to some tough
financial times during my
internship, and the mood was
quite depressing at times. I
liked the project a lot but the
uncertainty surrounding it was
mood-killer. Uncertainty
concerning the real willingness
of the NGO to carry it, the
actual ability to carry it and
even the uncertainty about the
future of the NGO as an entity
did affected me. It was difficult
to keep my positive thinking
AQUADEV is in such financial
I think the objectives of the
project are great. There is a real troubles that the development
perspectives of the project
willingness to implement
were lost for more business
sustainable development
issues.
principles, the project really
Issues like the role of women in
embodies
social+economic+environmental this forestry project was under
looked which is a shame.
dimension.
Adding to that there is a loss of
real purpose that can only be
explained by a certain
tiredness of the repetition of
development issues within the
field of work of AQUADEV
Working for a little pay
I would like to work to improve
whether financially or
emporished and underprofessionally has no appeal for
represented people life. This
me. The size of an NGO clearly
internship has fostered my
matter.
interest for gender issues in
development project, I hope it
will lead to a professional life on
the subject
I have improved alot on my
positive thinking, for me who is a
cynical and not so positive
person to begin with, it is a huge
step.

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