An association of professionals serving rural communities
Associazione di Cooperazione con i Paesi in Via di Sviluppo (Association for Cooperation with Developing Countries) — ETS (Third Sector Entity).
The Associazione di Cooperazione con i Paesi in Via di Sviluppo (Association for Cooperation with Developing Countries) was founded in 1999 in the Aosta Valley as the Associazione Veterinaria di Cooperazione con i Paesi in Via di Sviluppo, later renamed with its current name. In 2002 it set up a twin association in Piedmont, in Moncrivello (VC); the two AVECs later merged into a single Piedmont-based organisation, today an ETS – Third Sector Entity (AVEC PVS ETS).
The association has always been made up entirely of volunteers: at first vets with varied experience in development cooperation, later joined by agronomists, environmental lawyers and project management experts, offering a multi-sector approach spanning animal husbandry, animal health, beekeeping, agriculture, forestry, food security and biodiversity.
Its cooperation work has taken place mainly in Africa (Ethiopia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, Kenya, Burkina Faso, Madagascar), South America (Ecuador) and Asia (Tibet, Cambodia), always alongside qualified local partners. We prioritise strengthening local counterparts and keep the use of expatriate staff to a minimum.
Through its members, AVEC-PVS has taken part in feasibility, monitoring and evaluation missions in many countries across Africa, Asia and South America, helped revise a beekeeping manual for Africa for the NGO CEFA, and worked with local associations to write technical and training manuals and materials on milk and milking hygiene, good practice in marketing dairy products, and beekeeping. It has been an observer member of the Consorzio delle ONG Piemontesi and a member of the Associazione Casa dei Popoli di Settimo Torinese.
Safeguarding and developing the resources and livelihoods of a rural socio-economic system is the only sustainable guarantee of individual survival. Every intervention must seek the best possible balance between all its components, with full respect for different cultures and beliefs.
Who we work with
Our funders: Regione Valle d’Aosta, Regione Piemonte, Otto per Mille of the Tavola Valdese, Project Management Institute Educational Foundation, Network Aiuto Assistenza Accoglienza (NAAA).
Public bodies we have worked with under formal agreements: Istituto Agronomico per l’Oltremare, Comune di Settimo Torinese, Prevention Department of ASL TO4, Department of Veterinary Sciences of the University of Turin, Comune di Moncrivello, Istituto Comprensivo di Cigliano “E. Ferraris”.
Non-governmental organisations: Solidarietà, Pace e Sviluppo (SPS), Comitato Collaborazione Medica (CCM), Persone Come Noi (PCN), Modena per gli Altri (MOXA), Sistemi Organizzati per lo Sviluppo (SOS Blu), Equiliberi Onlus. Associations: Project Management Institute (PMI), Trace Foundation, Slow Food Foundation.
Local partners:
Kenya — Kenya Camel Association (KCA)
Democratic Republic of the Congo — Cadre d’appui pour la recherche des solutions (CARS), Union des Communautés Rurales pour le Développement Intégré (UCRDI), Association pour le Développement Intégré des Paysans et des Enfants dans le Tanganyika (ADIPET), Human Dignity in the World (HDW)
Ecuador — Fondo Ecuatoriano Populorum Progressio (FEPP), Mancomunidad Las Meliponas
Tanzania — Veterinary Investigation Centre, Arusha
Burkina Faso — Association Vivre au Village (VIVAVI)
How we work
Our approach
For more than twenty-five years we have worked the same way: alongside communities, with people who know the area, and offering real professional expertise.
27 years in the field100% volunteers
01
Local partners
We work with qualified local counterparts and strengthen the role of local technical staff, keeping expatriate staff to a minimum.
02
Integrated approach
Animal health, agriculture, the environment and training together: rural development only works when everything fits together.
03
Practical goals
Measurable projects, built with communities, either as lead partner or as technical consultants to other organisations.
04
Skilled volunteering
Vets, agronomists and technicians who give their time and professional experience free of charge.
The team
The people of AVEC-PVS
Members and collaborators who make our projects possible.
Paolo Rodighiero
President
Over 20 years of clinical and surgical experience in cattle medicine (dairy and beef). Extensive experience in international veterinary cooperation programmes.
Andrea Giorgino
Vice-President
Veterinary surgeon who graduated from the University of Turin. Specialised in animal nutrition at the University of Milan, with a Master's in Dairy Supply Chain Sustainability and an MBA from SDA Bocconi. Several experiences in international cooperation settings.
Over 20 years of experience in development cooperation in English- and French-speaking sub-Saharan Africa. Currently a senior veterinary officer at the ASL (local health authority) in Vercelli.
Celso Braglia
Beekeeping expert
Experienced beekeeper with decades of work in the field. He contributes to AVEC-PVS sustainable beekeeping programmes in Africa, passing on techniques and know-how to rural communities.
Silvia Dalmasso
Veterinary surgeon
Veterinary surgeon who graduated from the University of Turin. Expert in animal health and sustainable livestock development in international cooperation settings.
EF
Elena Fraccaro
Veterinary consultant
Veterinary consultant with international experience in cooperation programmes. Supports AVEC-PVS activities with technical assessment and field training.
Alberto Giani
Veterinary surgeon — Project coordinator
Veterinary surgeon specialising in coordinating international projects in rural development, food security and development cooperation.
Innocenzo Masseria
Veterinary surgeon
Veterinary surgeon who graduated in Turin and specialised in Animal Nutrition at the University of Milan. He works in small animal clinics in Italy and Switzerland and collaborates on animal health and public health projects.
A professional with deep and wide-ranging experience in development cooperation with NGOs and international agencies. Coordinator of technical assistance and training programmes in developing countries.
Carolina Pressi
Communication
Supports communication, international relations and the coordination of AVEC-PVS programmes in the field.
Noemi Rodighiero
International cooperation
An active member of the AVEC-PVS team, contributing to international cooperation activities and supporting rural development programmes.
Claudio Forte
Professor
Lecturer in Animal Science at the Department of Veterinary Sciences of the University of Turin, working on animal welfare and the sustainability of livestock systems.
Veterinary consultant specialising in parasitology and infectious diseases. Provides veterinary services to nomadic communities as part of AVEC-PVS programmes.
Erica Longato
Veterinary surgeon — Animal nutrition
Veterinary surgeon who graduated from the University of Turin and specialised in Animal Nutrition at the University of Milan. She works in private practice in small animal nutrition.
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