“BRIDGES” is a development project that Coopermondo, together with other partners – organizations of diasporas, civil society, Senegalese and Ethiopian institutions, NGOs working directly on the field, universities and research institutes, subjects specialized in microfinance – will develop in two countries, Senegal and Ethiopia, in order to investigate and overcome the root causes of migration.
The project, which is currently in the start-up phase, aims at promoting the acquisition of skills by the most vulnerable groups (women and youth generation) and at stimulating the development of micro-entrepreneurship in sustainable economic sectors with a high added value (agriculture, renewable energy, eco-construction, crafts, etc…), contributing to the socio-economic development of the two countries.
In a perspective of co-development, the project aims at enhancing the role of Senegalese and Ethiopian diasporas in Italy such as promoters of economic development in their countries of origin, helping to strengthen their skills and to channel their investments in income-generating activities and employment opportunities in countries of origin.
Among the results that the project aims to achieve:

• More than 2,000 beneficiaries trained, half of which are women
• At least 200 individual companies or cooperatives have been offered technical assistance, in kind support, marketing and managerial training
• 60 new micro-entrepreneurial start-up created
• 10 investment projects launched by diasporas in countries of origin