The university dimension of our NGO considerably influences the way we work, the way we design our projects and, more generally, the missions we carry out. Among these, the dissemination of knowledge occupies a very special place. In concrete terms, this means sharing as widely as possible the knowledge that we generate through our projects and the interactions that we encourage between players in the academic world and those in the field, so that it benefits as many people as possible. It's a vital mission, and we want to raise its profile and increase its impact.

Agro-ecology, along with health, is one of the pillars of Louvain Coopération's activities in Cambodia. Funded by the DGD, the programme set up with the Liège-based university NGO Eclosio, aims to strengthen food and economic security and access to trade and entrepreneurship. All this while promoting sustainable and social agriculture.

In Benin, more than 23% of adults are overweight and 7.4% of them are obese. 25% of adults have high blood pressure and 96% of them do not follow any treatment. Based on these findings in 2015, Louvain Coopération has since decided to take action on Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs), which represent a real global scourge. In low-income countries, the cost of treating these diseases, which include cancer, diabetes, hypertension and obesity, is far too high for households. What's more, it presents too great a risk for mutual insurers, as member contributions are not high enough.

In Burundi, the development of mental health initiatives is undoubtedly one of the greatest success stories of the last five years. Starting from scratch, in a region where mental illness is often equated with witchcraft, the IZERE project launched in 2017, in partnership with BADEC Caritas Ngozi, has contributed to the definition of a national mental health policy.

So far, our NGO has continued to work with the Cambodian Ministry and our local partners, as well as communities on strengthening health systems to manage non-communicable diseases. Three interdependent levels of action.

It's not always easy to make the most of your civic experience, such as volunteering or Erasmus, particularly when you're looking for a job. Yet they can be a real asset. Global STEPS is a new tool for measuring and demonstrating the added value of this type of experience. It's a great idea that Louvain Coopération is taking part in, and one that should be disseminated widely!

Philippe De Leener is a professor at the Centre for Development Studies at UCLouvain, specialising in economics, political science and the sociology of change in the context of sub-Saharan Africa. He is also Chairman of Inter-Mondes and Co-Chairman of the social economy federation SAW-B asbl (Solidarité des alternatives wallonnes et bruxelloises). He answers Devlop's questions.

LC: How do you see the Covid-19 crisis?

The situation

On 16 March, the first case of Covid-19 was reported in Benin. Farmers' families were quickly affected by the containment measures, as it became difficult to go to the various urban markets in Cotonou to sell their produce. Supplies of certain foodstuffs were also made more difficult by the closure of borders. In the Atacora region, fonio sales have been particularly poor. Stocks are therefore high, and the arrival of the rainy season is likely to damage them. In the south of the country, cassava processing cooperatives are facing a shortage of raw materials.

THE SITUATION

Bolivia declared a total quarantine and closed its borders at the end of March. Despite this, Covid-19 has gained ground and the health system, already failing, cannot cope with the influx of patients. Patients are being sorted out in the streets and there is a shortage of equipment and medicines to treat them in the health centres. Medical staff are highly exposed and lack protection. From an economic point of view, the small businesses we are supporting are suffering particularly badly, as this situation is preventing them from selling their produce.

THE SITUATION

The DRC announced a state of emergency on 25 March, involving numerous confinement measures. These measures have led to a scarcity of essential manufactured goods (which are usually imported), but also to soaring prices for local products, particularly agricultural produce, which has doubled in price. The suspension of a large proportion of economic activities has led to the loss of many jobs (both formal and informal). Many families are suffering from hunger, and there is a risk that the number of children left on the streets will soar.