March 2000

Update on our work in Burkina Faso

by Dr. Fitigu Tadesse, for the Global Board of Directors

Immediately after the Africa Prize Ceremony and the Board meeting in October 1999, a delegation of 27 HP investors from six countries accompanied Mrs. Nagbila Aisseta, the African woman food farmer who received the Africa Prize statue on behalf of the 100 million women farmers of her continent, on her trip back to Burkina Faso. Upon their arrival at the Ouagadougou airport, Mrs. Aisseta and the delegation were received by thousands of men and women who came from all over the country to welcome them with traditional African music. The delegation was met by several thousand people in each place they visited during their stay in Burkina Faso. In addition, they met the local media representatives in press conferences focusing on the work of THP in the world and specifically in Africa.

The investors and Mrs. Aisseta met with Prime Minister Kadré who congratulated THP on the innovative initiative of economic empowerment of the African women farmers and agreed that these women play a critical role in the eradication of hunger and poverty in Burkina Faso. He went on to state that the policy of his government is to support women in Burkina and ensure their access to productive assets such as credit, land and farming technology. He specifically said that his government has decided to grant special scholarships to young girls as well as funds to their parents so that families can afford to have the girls attend school up to high school level.

The delegation also visited the catalytic projects in the three Epicenters of Zincko, Nagréongo and Ouahigouya.

Strategic Programs

Since the last Board meeting, THP-Burkina Faso has concentrated on the following programs in the two major epicenters of Nagréongo and Zincko:

• Food Production and Security:

i. Zincko: A revolving fund of CFA 2,600,000, created by THP-Burkina Faso, has enabled the population of Zincko to purchase and store 87 sacks of maize in their food bank.

ii. Nagréongo: 88 sacks of cereals are being stored in the food bank for the people of Nagréongo. In addition to the food bank, 192 women of Nagréongo have produced lucrative vegetable gardens. They will invest a portion of their income in continued improvements in the gardens.

iii. In addition to our two epicenters, THP-Burkina works in close partnership with NAAM, a partner NGO located in Ouahigouya, headed by Africa Prize Laureate Bernard Ouédraogo. THP-Burkina works with the NAAM movement to ensure food security for the population of Ouahigouya, especially women, through a sustainable program of micro-credit projects.

• Income Generating Activities: The revolving credit programs in the two epicenters have had a tremendous impact on the activities of the population. Activities include the following:
  

1. Peanut butter extraction project for the market: Each woman engaged in this activity in Nagréongo has earned a monthly income of CFA 10,800 ($22) after repayment on her loans over the last six months.
2. Tie-dye project in Zincko: This project has brought a monthly total of CFA 30,000 ($50) for each woman participating in the last six months of activity.
3. Cattle fattening project: This has resulted in a net benefit of CFA 20,000 ($33) per month for each woman involved in the project.
4. Other income generating activities: These include rental of mills and rice husking instruments that have proven to be very good sources of income for our partner communities.

• Micro-credit

1. Nagréongo: Over 600 participants benefited from credits of more than CFA 8,085,000 FCFA (US $16,000). 400 out of that number were women.
2. Zincko, 520 people, of which 489 were women, benefited from credit of more than CFA 9,651,000 (US $19,000). THP-Burkina Faso reported that, to date, the rate of return for these loans is from 97% to 99%. In six months alone, these loans generated interest of over $1,270. Using these funds, the women and men created five new micro-enterprises in partner villages including mills, oil pressing, rice husking, and tie dying of cloth. In each of these micro-enterprises, THP-Burkina has also funded the construction of necessary facilities, the acquisition of essential equipment, and the training of women and men in these trades.

• Education and Literacy
  

i. Literacy: Since April 1999, 169 women and 73 men have participated in literacy programs in Nagréongo and Zincko.

ii. In addition to the literacy courses, THP-Burkina has also trained the following people:

1. 70 people (men and women) in pork raising
2. 60 women in vegetable planting and management
3. 29 people (men and women) in tie dye techniques
   

THP-Burkina Faso is planning to provide literacy education for a total of 1,500 women from the two epicenters, by 2004.

• Health and Hygiene: The health and hygiene program in the two epicenters has had a significant impact on the health of the population. THP-Burkina has trained 120 midwives to help the women in family planning, child nutrition and prevention of HIV. In addition, a special campaign was launched to educate the population of the two epicenters on preventing HIV; to date, THP-Burkina has reached 360 couples, providing them with information on preventing this terrible disease. The health centers are equipped with beds, mattresses, and delivery tables for the maternity ward in Zincko (valued at 500,000 CFA or US $850). In Nagréongo, a pharmacy is available with medications, clothing and other medical equipment.

• Vision, Commitment and Action workshop: Since the first VCA workshop was organized in May, 1999 by the Global Office, THP-Burkina has held VCA workshops in a total of 50 villages. Over 1,000 men and women have participated representing each of the 16 villages of Zincko and 12 villages of Nagréongo. From these, over 100 special animators were selected for in-depth training in the principles of THP and the SPIA methodology. These animators are now working with a total population of nearly 20,000 people to empower them to become self-reliant in their own development efforts.

• Partnership with NAAM movement: NAAM has continued with the following projects:

1. Cold storage: THP has built two cold storage facilities for the conversion of potatoes that the population is using to help ensure food security and to have access to food at all times of the year.
   
2. Savings and credit: Two savings and credit banks, built with the assistance of THP, are ensuring that the women of NAAM have continued access to THP’s revolving credit grants.
   

iii. Credit for Income Generation: Small credit grants of over 9,000,000 FCFA have been awarded to 360 additional women enabling them to expand their existing income-generating activities and to create new micro-enterprises in and around Ouahigouya.

• Future Expansion
  

i. Rural banks: THP has completed the construction of two rural banks in Zincko and Nagréongo in partnership with the population. These banks are critical to ensuring food security and access to food at all times of the year to the population of these areas.

ii. Expanded activities: In the year 2000, THP-Burkina Faso intends to expand its activities in a larger area of the northeastern region of Burkina Faso to encompass a population of over 200,000. This will be in addition to the villages surrounding the two epicenters of Zincko and Nagréongo. THP-Burkina will carry out SPIA catalytic projects in the new expansion areas, as well as the ongoing programs of literacy, health, increased food production, food bank, rural bank and credit for women. THP-Burkina will work in conjunction with the African Woman Food Farmer Initiative in Burkina, led by Mrs. Bernadette Ouattara, the National Coordinator.