0.05

The women’s group of Kaya. Three times a week twenty-four mothers meet here whilst their children are in school and their husbands are at work. They come together to learn, to work and to exchange ideas. One of the women is Aline Ouédraogo who crushes fruit here. Aline belongs to the Mossie ethnic group. She has been part of the charity project since it started, two years ago. 

0.30 OT Aline Ouédrago

‘You leave the house and you enter a community. It’s beautiful. You can share grief and sorrow. We learn important things, and make money too.’

0.44

One example of the women’s enterprises is the production of Soumbala-balls, which are used for seasoning. The fruits of the Nere-tree are soaked in water, crushed and then processed into balls to be sold. This is one of the main projects and the money helps the women to supplement their family’s incomes. What’s more, they develop legal and economic skills.

1.09       OT Aline Ouédraogo.

 “It’s a good feeling when you can make enough money to educate the children. Recently my son came home after school and said the fees had increased again.”

1.21

Aline has four children. The oldest has just graduated. The two middle children go to school and eighteen-month year old Jean-Esequielle will be on her way there soon. Aline’s husband was a civil servant and is now retired. Thirty nine year old Aline works up to eighteen hours a day in their home and in the field. The Ouédraogo family is one of the few here in the Sahel area that sends their children to school, even if they can barely afford to.

1.53

One of the biggest problems in Burkina Faso is the high rate of illiteracy. The school enrolment rate in some regions is as low as nine percent. The country also has high infant morality rates, sanitation problems and diseases such as malaria and HIV to contend with. Above all though, the problem is hunger.

Drought returns time and time again. Rain is often a long time coming. Water is a precious commodity and those without their own well, such as Aline, must purchase it. Charities have already built over a hundred wells here and several artificial lakes, called Boulis, where rainwater is collected. This enables farmers to grow vegetables where, for a long time, there was only desert. The motto is; help each other.

It’s an exemplary sight for visitors who witness the people of Burkina Faso coexisting peacefully, despite their multitude of different religions and ethnic groups.

2.56 OT Hamidou Diallo, Sociologist

‘Here there are fifty to sixty different ethnic groups living together in peace. There are different religions too: Muslims, Christians and followers of indigenous religions. People pray whilst those of other religions perform their prayers alongside them. There are differences but there are no conflicts; not due to ethnicity or religion. I must say, it is fantastic’

3.31

Burkina Faso means ‘Land of Honourable People’ or ‘Land of the Sincere’ - a name that is proving accurate. Charity president, Franz Kuberl, speaks with praise and admiration of this peaceful coexistence between different religions and ethnic groups. He hopes it is something others can learn from the Burkinabe people.

3.53 (off) 3.56 (on)

OT Küberl Franz, president of Caritas

I’ve seen here the very poor conditions the people must live under: drought, bad harvests, hunger. And yet, nevertheless, their longing for a better future is unbroken and they are always ready to do their bit. They are also ready to accept changes to tradition because social realities demand development. This is quite remarkable that the people here are able to take up a vision of the future and go in that direction. I say this because I know how hard it is to be forced to change and how hard it is to break away from the familiar.

4:46

More and more farmers here are agreeing to learn new skills, and are sending their children to school. The women’s groups are also working to change traditional roles. For women to have time for themselves and generate their own income is still the exception not the rule in Burkina Faso. Yet according to Aline her independence has improved her relationship with her husband because he is no longer the only one carrying the financial burden. 

 
5.11 (off), 5.13 (on) OT Aline Ouédraogo

“I can’t imagine life without the women’s group any more. As well as our joint work we tell lots of stories, sing, dance and laugh. The woman’s group is profitable in every way. It is simply enriching.”

The end: 5.43