Uni4Coop: 4 French-speaking university NGOs work together to make the world a fairer place.
This innovative project is called Uni4Coop.
The collaboration between Eclosio (NGO of the University of Liège), FUCID (NGO of the University of Namur), Louvain Coopération (NGO of the Catholic University of Louvain) and ULB-Cooperation (NGO of the Free University of Brussels) started in 2016 and led to several actions and projects both in developed and developing countries.
The actions of the four NGOs have been part of a shared program for over two years, partly funded by the Belgian State (DGD). Within this program, Uni4Coop develops actions in Belgium, Benin, Bolivia, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Madagascar, Peru, the DRC, Senegal and Togo. This project stems from a shared aim of progressing together, of becoming stronger as well as expanding the network, and promoting practices for everyone.
Each NGO is independent in leading its own activities even though there is obviously a will to work closely together.
The four NGOs’ departments of Global citizenship and solidarity education (“ECMS” in French) are developing several activities together to raise the awareness among students about the relations and inequalities between developed and developing countries.
The four NGOs shared their knowledge and skills for an environmental project to protect mangroves: “Mangroves University Expertise”. Mangroves are a fundamental natural resource for the local economy that provides timber and non-timber forest products, fishing, useful resources in pharmacopoeia… This resource is declining due to natural factors, climate change and human actions. The basic needs of local communities (food, income, medicines, culture…) are affected by shrinking mangrove numbers.
The Walloon Agency for Air and Climate selected our project on this biotope threatened by climate change. The actions taken will help inhabitants learn how to manage, promote, restore, and protect their natural resources. The project will support community empowerment. Based on the experiences of Eclosio in Western Africa, of Louvain Cooperation in Madagascar and of ULB-Cooperation in the management of natural areas, the project will enable the exchange of good practices between communities living in mangroves and deltas in Senegal, Benin, Togo, and Madagascar as well as empowering them to acquire knowledge together.
The collaboration between the four NGOs is not over. Together we work on developing the fonio sector in Benin and the health sector in the DRC. Several projects will take place in the future, all aiming to benefit the local communities.