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The challenges of development in the Sahel

Imagine what a difference it would make to a woman’s life if she were able to earn a little money of her own through the creation of a saleable product and then sell that product at a local market. That’s just what some Burkinabe villagers have been able to do: they have learned how to extract oil from desert dates and then use that oil to make soap.

Recent reports from APDC, World Neighbours Canada’s partner organization in Burkina Faso, have provided details about the project. In addition to the forest products initiatives such as the soap making, the villagers are pleased with the achievement of a local radio broadcast about forestry clearing laws and protection measures, improvement in agricultural yields through the use of green manure, and animal health improvements.

Continue reading “From desert dates to soap”

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.

Continue reading “Motorcycles and machetes make a big difference – Burkina Faso”