Ever since their arrival in France during the sixties, West African migrants have organised themselves in associations of expatriates, which in a way reproduce the organisation of their villages.
These associations support their villages of origin and finance collective projects, which generally concern social facilities : health centres, schools, mosques, etc...
The major part of their savings are sent directly to the village families and are used for basic needs.

Ader's objectives concerning the migrants :

ADER aims to organise and dedicate a part of the migrants' savings to productive investment.

• Organising and managing the financial sources stemming from the migrants' savings.
• Directing the savings towards more durable investment (property) rather than towards consumables.
• Long term improvements of living conditions in the country of origin.
• Enhancing the status of the migrants in the country of origin and in France.
• Access for the migrants to everyday social rights (normal bank credit…)
• Promoting relations between the migrants and the village population.

The migrants raise funds for productive investments aimed at local economic development. They invest in low cost quality housing. They are the financial promoters of local development. They obtain bank credits in France for investments in their country of origin.

The migrants, organised in groups of interest, support the private business sector involved in housing projects in their country of origin (construction and solar energy co-operatives, use of local materials, etc.…) and generate economic activity in this country, thus creating mutual development in both areas.

This unique approach by the migrants, concerning their organisation and activity in the investment field (savings schemes and credit plans,) enhances the role of migration in the long term development of their countries of origin.

A few examples of projects built with migrants :

1.Setting up a solar energy sector aimed at supplying electricity to users such as village families and public premises in Mali and in Mauritania :

• Installation of approximately 1.000 solar panels servicing 8.000 individuals in private housing and 40.000 individuals in public facilities.
• More than 500.000 € invested through contributions and credits taken out by the beneficiaries.
• Local employment opportunities through a new installation and maintenance co-operative.
• Set up of a solar energy equipment export company in France by a Mali expatriate as well as a marketing and technical subsidiary in Mali (Kayes).

ADER's significant investment in support, training programmes and assistance has enabled this sector to become completely autonomous in all its phases. This is a significant example of co-development.

2.Setting up a building sector in local materials for the construction and the renovation of houses for the migrants and their families :

• Construction and renovation of more than 120 houses in Mali, in Bamako, in Kayes and in the villages, for the families of migrants.
• Setting up of a building sector using local materials in Mali, acknowledged by all the professionals.
• Setting up in France of an organisation (APLSM) destined to become an estate agency for the migrants
• Setting up a guarantee fund at the Crédit Coopératif – with the participation of the Fondation Abbe Pierre - in order to finance credit plans to the migrants for building projects in their country of origin.