Though we at World Neighbours Canada are only able to contribute what some might think a minuscule amount to support the local NGO (APDC ) in the Fada province of Burkina Faso, the reports we receive from this group let us know that that drop in the bucket is able to provide tangible support for them.
The 15000$ Canadian dollars we sent in allotments over the past year has helped to purchase, after much discussion and thought, TWO motorcycles. This has allowed two local permanent employees to more easily reach distant villages that are part of the program more often and to provide support and re-training of women and community leaders in those villages when it is needed. Prior to this, the existing motorcycle was declared unsafe and irreparable and reaching those villages on foot often meant that visits were not made when requested.
Furthermore, money was also used to provide village leaders with machetes, boots, work gloves and pitch forks to allow them to better carry out the surveillance of their natural forest, deal with poachers and minimize the number of bush fires.Villagers report “significant progress in the area of decrease in the frequency and level of ravaging fires and a decrease in uncontrolled cutting of trees”. Basic equipment and materials that we take for granted here in Canada, can provide significant support to the people of Fada. As villagers begin to witness the benefits of such proactive natural resource practices, word spreads and others show interest, sometimes even before financial aid is provided. Locals agree that there are on-going issues to deal with, but small changes are occurring and the people are proud of what they are accomplishing.