Palestine case study Mustafa Ismael February 2014

MECIS learning event

Dora Cooperative for Agricultural Processing

“ A Model of Rural Women Enterprise”

Women’s products and markets

Problems?

Access to the market and services in remote and marginalized places in Palestine:

1) Understanding market, and the available opportunities.2) Farmers capacity. 3) Involve and stimulate private sector.4) Specialization versus multiple functioning.5) Build a culture of paying for the service.6) Involving more women to become decision-makers.

How did relationships established with key actors?

The project team build a professional and distinguished relationship with many actors in the country, this relationship built based on mutual respect to develop and reform national standard for Couscous produce and replicate this for other traditional products.

1. GDoC at the MoL (PA)2. Palestinian Standards Institute3. Local and international NGOs and regional

authority

What worked well?

OPTI

• Build and strengthen members’ capacity• Involve and stimulate private sector, • Specializations and production quality and

quantity,• More women involved in the decision making

process• Build a culture of paying service,

Impact

• Income generation for 45 members through distribution the gained net profit.

• Increasing working opportunities from 3 to 13 3-full time and 10 at part-time bases.

• 1n 2012 they made net profit £5000• The coop become well known as active women

representative body

Capacity Production Sales Capacity Production Sales Capacity Production Sales Capacity Production Sales2011 (Ton) 2012 (Ton) 2013 (Ton) 2014 (Ton) Planned

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

0.8 0.8 0.8

54 4

20

10 10

30

20 20

Maftoul Enterprise Development in Dora Cooperative

what didn’t worked well?

• Child-care,• Quality Control, • Marketing,• Attract more members to the co-ops,

How could you change what you are doing in future?

• We would advice the revolving loans to be channelled through MFI.