Financing SMEs in the Tourism Value Chains of Fogo, Cape Verde

My fascination with value chains and value chain development started when I attended the Agribanks Forum in Nairobi, Kenya. A presentation by a representative from FAO, Mr. Calvin Miller, who later became my university lecturer impressed the idea and concepts of value chain development and the options it provides for financing micro, small, and medium enterprises engaged at various stages of bringing commodities from inception to fruition. The value chains discussed at that time and before then were physical commodities, mainly agricultural commodities. Later I saw some works by experts from the World Bank and Development Alternatives Inc. (DAI)entertaining the idea of service value chains, as in tourism, which further fascinated me and further broadened my perspective on value chains, and how the concept can be utilized to look at constraints and opportunities that exist within various agricultural, manufacturing, and service sectors. Which is what led me to venture into the tourism sector of Cape Verde and zoom in on the Fogo cluster in particular for this work. It was a most exciting endeavor filled with great insights, from which I benefited personally and professionally.