The shop around the corner

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

The members of the women’s group VAZI in the surroundings of Antananarivo, the capital of Madagascar, were able to rent a shopg with a fund of Agriterra where they can sell their products directly to customers. All the members, 112 in total, work in shifts in shop. Here they sell potatoes, rice, beans and also baskets, cheese, milk, butter and yoghurt that they make themselves. The shop turns out to be a good selling point, they are thinking of renting a second building in another part of the capital.

Mrs. Razafindravononona Berthine is chairman of VAZI, she is responsible for the coordination and management of the shop/store project. The group submitted a proposal for a storehouse and a selling point to the national farmers’ federation Fekritama. With funding of Agriterra this project started at the beginning of 2009. The group could rent a building next to the head office of Fekritama in the city centre. Here they sell and store their products. They also received trainings in management, marketing, running a business, time management and selling strategies.

Because they are selling their products jointly in the shop, they can get a better price. Also the access to the market is better, lots of inhabitants know their way to the store. Business goes very well, they are thinking about renting a second shop at another location. They also encounter some problems, for example with the quality of the yoghurt. Most members make the yoghurt at home, it is difficult for them to come up to the demanded standards. VAZI is now working on how to receive a mark for their products, Fekritama assists the group in this. They hope to sell even better when consumers know that they can buy good-quality dairy products at the VAZI shop. 

Mrs. Berthine is not only managing the project, she also works on her land (60 are) and takes care for her family and the livestock. She leads a busy life, but thanks to the trainings in time management she can organise everything pretty fine. She is really enthusiastic about the little shop, it turned members into entrepreneurs and improved their incomes.