One Village One Product Programme - OVOP Malawi

nal economic development approach initiated by Oita prefecture in Japan in the 1970’s. The uniqueness of the approach is that at that time people in Oita intended to achieve their regional economic development through adding value to locally available resources, through processing, quality control, packaging design and marketing promotion. Since the 1990s, there have been a series of visits to Oita by various Malawi Government officials and some reciprocal visits to Malawi by various OVOP delegations from Japan with the support of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). The OVOP programme in Malawi was officially launched in November 2003, this was followed by the establishment of the OVOP National Secretariat. Currently, the Secretariat is taking a leading role to facilitate economic development through the OVOP concept within the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development. The Programme is under the Chairmanship of the Head of state, His Excellency Dr. Bingu wa Mutharika following his initiative of Malawi Economic Growth and Development Strategy (MGDS).


***Our Vision
An empowered community generating wealth.



***Our Mission
To generate incomes and wealth for the Malawian society by community mobilization to produce value added goods and services that are marketable in order to reduce wealth disparities.



***Our Aim
To develop goods and services through value adding by communities using locally available resources in designated area.



***Our Objectives
To promote OVOP concept approach of economic development at community level. To promote value adding technologies such as agro-processing and craft making at community level. To facilitate product quality control and packaging. To facilitate small-scale business skills development at community level. To promote market linkages between producing communities and domestic/international markets.


***Our Core Values
Transparency and accountability
Continuous learning and innovation
Teamwork
Leadership
Gender balance and equity
Sustainability