We operate in Burkina Faso, in Western Africa, in Toéssé, a large district that is 60 kilometers from the capital, on the road towards Ghana.
The district of Toéssé is made up of 38 villages, with a total population of about 40.000 inhabitants. There are 60 different ethnicities, with 60 different dialects but the official language is French.
Burkina Faso, is one of the poorest countries in the world because of a scarcity of natural resources, the lack of rivers and access to the sea. BF shares a border with Mali, Niger, Ghana, Benin, Togo and Ivory coast. The two big cities of Ouagadougou and Bobo Dioulasso, are somewhat developed, but this does not reach into the more rural areas, where the inhabitants make their living with agriculture and a small amount of commerce. It only rains about three months a year, followed by a long period of dry season. This, combined with the natural disasters and the lack of education, is one of the main reasons for the poverty.
We chose BF, because it is a peaceful country with a government that has a strong commitment towards social welfare. We chose to operate in a rural area, where the help is needed most. This follows the national directive of decentralization .
Our program is divided into smaller projects, each one with its own budget and responsibilities. Always keeping in mind that the work should be manageable and relatable to the local people, according to their needs. In this way, we can guarantee the continuity and sustainability of the project while limiting the dependence and passiveness of the people.
The population has to have a leading role in its own development. We make a conscious effort to respect the different religions and powers. We make it a point to pay particular attention to integrate the different religions without creating a leadership of one group that excludes the others. Toéssé is a village where everybody lives together peacefully, we are careful not to create injustices that can provoke hostility and tensions between the different groups. We try to make those that have been marginalized our priority.
