COOPEN: Winner of AIDG’s Konkou Biznis Ayiti 09
by Catherine LaineOctober 20th, 2009
COOPEN (“Coopérative pour la Promotion et l’Exploitation de l’Environnment”) was formed in 2009 in Cap-Haïtien, Haiti as a business cooperative dedicated to helping its members and customers convert organic waste into energy and agricultural fertilizer. In addition to producing and installing biodigester systems (specially-designed reactors for converting organic waste into biogas), COOPEN also offers comprehensive training programs to ensure that end-users can get the most out of these systems. Founders Roger Jean-Pierre and Raphaël Bélizaire, winners of AIDG’s inaugural business plan competition Konkou Biznis Ayiti, see COOPEN as a model in Haiti for socio-economic development that also engages citizens in the protection of the environment. Their objective is to reduce waste, decrease domestic dependence on charcoal, and provide a cost-effective alternative to propane gas, while at the same time promoting a profitable cooperative model where members share in the benefits.
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