Don Zoukoutoudja had previously suffered from poverty due to a lack of sufficient avenues to generate income. In light of this, members of the community who are part of the Transformational Community Development (TCD) committee for Income Generation requested a palm oil processing machine, which was graciously donated within this first quarter.

During the month of March, the committee discovered that the machine was totally grinding the palm nuts with the kernel still inside, which made the women of the community lose revenue that could be generated if the kernels were separated from the palm nuts since they could produce both palm oil and kernel oil. The lack of separation was due to the type of palm nuts being processed and the type of processing machine used. The committee deliberated on the issue and decided to turn in the machine they had for a better type that could grind the ordinary palm nuts that are more abundant in their locality. That would allow them to reserve the kernels for separate processing so they could generate further income.

Thanks to the application of TCD concepts, Don Zoukoutoudja has been able to identify ways to increase their sources of income by taking advantage of the local resources without the need for external input, achieving the TCD goal of self-sustaining development within a community. Changing their machines and the type of palm nut being processed was a necessary step to maximize production and profit.

For the future, the Income Generation Committee desires more funding to increase the purchasing power of the women who produce the palm oil.

Thank you!

Written by Mirabel, GHNI Volunteer