NOVI (novi) in the West African languages Fon, Mina, and Ewé means "From the same village", "Siblings", or "People working together for the same cause".
Our Vision
NOVI envisions self-sufficient and sustainable West African villages. We aim to see a world in which small-scale farmers, artisans, and villagers are active social change agents. We believe that Africans can mobilize their natural resources in a sustainable manner to empower their own communities to become self-reliant.
Our Mission
Novi NGO (“NOVI”) is a village-based development enterprise registered in Benin, West Africa and 501(c)3 in the U.S. NOVI is organized by villagers to provide tools for self-sufficiency and sustainability in their communities. We aim to help villages improve the quality of life and preserve their sense of community through Production and Promotion of innovative sustainable products and Business Incubation + Training.
Our Model: A sustainable approach to rural development
In our villages, we:
Mobilize and train groups to create and/or distribute innovative life-improving products
Provide Entrepreneurship Training, Business Operation Coaching, and facilitate access to financing
Develop low-cost distribution channels for the products
Invest all proceeds back into our villages to support design classes, job creation, and new products development.
