Food sovereignty
Helping communities that have faced food insecurity move towards food sovereignty is one of the first steps towards sustainable development. Far more than a matter of subsistence, this food self-sufficiency is also the starting point for economic independence: when a family produces enough to feed itself, and then generates a surplus that it can process and sell, it improves its living conditions in a lasting way and becomes more independent.
Education & vocational training
Access to education and vocational training is one of the cornerstones of development, particularly for the most vulnerable populations. Lack of access to education is both a cause and a consequence of poverty, and disproportionately affects the most disadvantaged. In rural and remote areas, children and young people often have no opportunity to attend school or to learn a trade.
Entrepreneurship support
Improving production or learning a trade is not enough to escape poverty for good: people also need to be able to make a living from it. This is the role of entrepreneurship support, which runs through all of SECODEV’s projects, in food sovereignty and vocational training alike. Its purpose is to turn a skill or a harvest into a viable economic activity, one capable of generating a stable income and supporting a family in the long term.
Gender and gender equality
For SECODEV, gender equality is not simply a box to tick, but a commitment translated into concrete action at every stage of its projects, from identifying needs to evaluating results. Every activity is designed to remove the specific obstacles faced by women and girls, whether in accessing training, earning an income or participating in decision-making bodies. Women’s economic empowerment, through training, employment and the creation of their own income-generating activities, lies at the heart of this approach.
Combating climate change and protecting the environment
For SECODEV, climate resilience is not a goal separate from the rest of its work: it is what ensures its long-term sustainability. No agricultural improvement or economic empowerment can be sustained over time without protecting the environment on which it depends.