Sucess Stories Guédopé Françoise - A bright future with the Urbis Fondation

Guédopé Françoise had already trained in conventional electrical engineering, but the big professional breakthrough was still a long way off. The turning point came when she received specialist training in photovoltaics from the Urbis-Togo Foundation. This training opened up new prospects in a booming sector: solar energy.

With the necessary technical knowledge in her pocket and a subsequent work placement in a solar company, Françoise was quickly able to gain a foothold. Today, she works full time in a solar company, where she is responsible for ensuring that the solar installations are running smoothly and at peak performance. In addition, as a member of the energy accounting department, she analyses electricity production and consumption - an important contribution to the long-term efficiency of the systems. Quality control of solar components is also part of her remit.

For Françoise, the support of the Urbis Foundation has been the key to her professional reorientation - and to her current fulfilment in her work. In her own words: "I'm very grateful to the Urbis Foundation - it was decisive in my entry into the renewable energy sector".

Sucess Stories Soulimatou Alassani and her shop.

Between 2017 and 2018, Alassani Salimatou completed an IT training programme at the Urbis Foundation's media library. Looking back, she describes this place as far more than just a training centre - it was a space that nurtured her curiosity, strengthened her skills and awakened her entrepreneurial spirit.

After completing her training, she was immediately given the opportunity to complete a three-month practical and further training internship, which further deepened her knowledge and boosted her self-confidence. With this valuable experience, she took the plunge into self-employment.

Today, Alassani successfully runs her own company, which offers both office services and the sale of school materials. It is clear to her that she embodies the success that education can bring - and she is convinced that the Urbis Foundation media centre is the best training centre that can accompany young people on this path.

Sucess Stories The Farm of Akizilelou Arom

Every year, our training farm CPIA (Centre de Promotion des Initiatives Agricoles) trains agroentrepreneurs (AEs), such as Akizilelou Arom. The 24-year-old was trained as an AE in 2020-2021 and was able to start his own farm in the Est-Mono prefecture in eastern Togo with the start-up capital from URBIS FOUNDATION. On his 9 ha farm, he grows maize, soybeans, cassava, yam, sorghum and nibeb, and also breeds goats, sheep and poultry. With the start-up capital, he was even able to build a house in his village.

Sucess Stories From URBIS solar training to permanent employment

In March 2021, Tchala Ekéma took part in an intensive one-week solar training course on the installation and maintenance of photovoltaic solar systems organised by URBIS FOUNDATION Togo (UFT) in Lomé. Following the training, she was funded by UFT for a three-month internship at KYA-Energy Group, where she got a permanent job after graduating with a degree in civil and electrical engineering.

Sucess Stories Project "Birth certificate for all"

In Togo, many children do not yet have a birth certificate - we support them to receive one retroactively.

Sucess Stories The café of Madame Aridja Tchakonde

Thanks to a microcredit granted by URBIS, Madame Aridja Tchakonde was able to establish a café, which she runs today with five employees.

Sucess Stories The boutique of Madame Mouraféra Sallassis

With a microcredit granted by URBIS, Madame Mouraféra Sallassis was able to open a boutique, which she runs with her daughters.