In 2003, Aywa began providing technical training to Senegalese students in wood/metal work, textiles, and other handicrafts and supporting them in marketing, quality control, and business development. A number of Senegalese-owned businesses have been incubated by our program, including Malika Monkeys, an artisan handicraft brand with distribution through stores in Dakar and direct sales around the
world. In 2008, Aywa’s focus expanded to include the incubation of technologies and solutions relating to energy, water, and agriculture. That year, our organization was awarded a grant from the World Bank Development Marketplace to develop an outboard motor that would increase mobility and access to markets for farmers along the Sine-Saloum River. Partnering with local women’s groups, Aywa planted hundreds of Jatropha trees to test the viability of producing Jatropha seed oil to be used as an alternative fuel for the motor. Since 2010, Aywa has hosted individuals and groups of design, marketing, and engineering students from organized university programs. As a result of these partnerships, we’ve not only had a hand in the launch of successful development pilots and design products, but also in the facilitation of cross-cultural and interdisciplinary exchange.
