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Aïssatou Diallo is a disabled person. She has some 30 years' experience in fruit processing. She is also president of Shivet Fruit, an interest group of around 10 women based in Mbour, some 50 km from Dakar, the capital of Senegal.

In most parts of West Africa, disabled people find themselves on the streets, begging and hoping for help from passers-by.

"I couldn't stay at home and do nothing. So, in 1988, I started making local juice by hand," explains Aissatou.

As part of the implementation of the PPAAO in Senegal, Aïssatou was selected, along with other women, and trained in food processing and preservation.

"We gained valuable knowledge," says Aïssatou, who received a diploma from her training in Canada.

On its return home, Shivet Fruit received equipment worth 1 million CFA francs from the Fonds national de recherche agricole et agro-alimentaire (FNRAA). Thanks to the training, Shivet Fruit now has the technical capacity to process almost all local products while preserving their taste and nutritional qualities.

Shivet Fruit transforms local cereals into syrup. In Mbour, products made by this local group have made their appearance in hotels and restaurants. The quality of its products has earned respect and trust in the local market. Shiver Fruit can now be seen as the preferred brand in local stores.

"We scrupulously comply with manufacturing standards," says Ms Samb, the group's spokeswoman.

"There's no sign of lack of hygiene or quality in Aïssatou Diallo's products, and our customers appreciate her syrups, jams and processed cereals. I strongly encourage her to keep up the momentum," says a hotelier in the seaside town of Saly.

Tropic' is currently sold outside the Mbour area. These successes have encouraged the group to begin new business plans to increase supply to the international market.