OVO stands for ‘Ondernemers voor Ondernemers’ (Entrepreneurs for Entrepreneurs) and believes that small and medium enterprises are an important motor for the economy, welfare and employment opportunities in low and middle income countries. Their mission is to stimulate and strengthen social-economic development projects and initiatives. OVO is the link between Belgian companies, entrepreneurs and local business initiatives in Africa and selected countries in the development phase. Major efforts being made to transfer knowledge, skills and financial opportunities.

For more info, check their website: https://ondernemersvoorondernemers.be/

In Cameroon, middle class people face difficulties to afford decent housing because of the cost and complicated administrative steps. Therefore, people in cities often live in inappropriate living conditions. Additionally, a large amount of waste is produced when materials of housings are out of use. EcoConstruction aims to help the most disadvantaged populations in Cameroon from the idea to build the house on technical and administrative side by conceiving the house, obtaining administrative authorizations, constructing the house and being the contact between client and companies. They propose cheaper houses by using an adapted construction technique and making them ecological by using only soil stabilized auto blocking earth bricks (use of soil from the client, diminution of CO2 production, diminution of needed concrete, fast construction technique). 

The preparatory work consists of:

-Carry out solidity and reliability tests of this type of construction technique in tropical environments

-The creation of marketing plan adapted to this type of project

The on-site work contains:

-Assistance to the local team in the construction of the first houses

-The implementation of marketing plan and its adaptation to local realities