Burkina Faso Report April 2012 Update on activities and progress across The Hunger Project s Epicentre Communities in Burkina Faso

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1 Burkina Faso Report April 2012 Update on activities and progress across The Hunger Project s Epicentre Communities in Burkina Faso Executive Summary In Quarters 3 and 4 of 2011, THP-Burkina began to develop and target activities in its Strategic Plan. Specifically, THP-Burkina began by focusing on greater government partnerships at all levels. In order to highlight the role of government in the sustainable self-reliance of the 15 epicentres in Burkina Faso, staff focused on continuing to transition specific elements of the epicentre to government responsibility. Furthermore, staff worked to formalise each epicentre as its own Association, permitting it legal recognition and standing. In alignment with a focus on health and nutrition, THP-Burkina held several mass medical visits, which proved to be an enormous success, with high participation rates, widespread HIV/AIDS awareness-raising and on-site, anonymous testing and counselling. Accomplishments Mass Medical Visits: Throughout 2011, THP- Burkina focused on bringing high-quality, affordable healthcare to the epicentres and partner villages. As part of this work, mass medical visits were arranged with the support of volunteer medical associations and medical schools. Not only were hundreds of children, mothers and patients provided with free care, but the media also flocked to the occasion. THP- Burkina was able to produce a DVD using the footage from the event, which it will use in advocacy activities to continue this important element of its programme. HIV/AIDS Mobilisation: During the reporting period, THP-Burkina partnered with both local and national HIV/AIDS prevention organisations across Burkina. Despite a relatively Burkina Faso Report to the Global Board (April 2012) Page 1 of 6

2 low infection rate in Burkina Faso, local advocacy efforts work to maintain these achievements and ensure the continued health of all epicentre partners. Animator Training: Animators form the basis of each epicentre s presence in the surrounding villages. From health and nutrition to water and sanitation, these motivated, mobile partners are a key focus of THP-Burkina s activities. Over the reporting period, they were trained in nutrition and environment and sanitation. Challenges Formalising Epicentre Associations: THP-Burkina continues to seek legal recognition for each epicentre, contributing to its sustainable self-reliance. Each epicentre s recognition requires a certain amount of paperwork and bureaucratic approvals, making the process a lengthy one. Sense of Ownership: THP-Burkina staff have identified that some epicentre partner villages lack the same sense of ownership over the epicentre as other villages. In reaction to this challenge, THP-Burkina has focused on hosting more village-level activities, including training animators to operate at the village level. Information and Communication Technology at the Epicentres: THP-Burkina has successfully brought electricity to Nagréongo and Boulkon Epicentres. However, it has high aspirations for bringing electricity and computers to each of its epicentres and their rural banks. This would be a tremendous boost to each epicentre s self-reliance, but a challenge in both the costs and logistics of such an undertaking. Partner Story: Grinding Away at Boulkon Epicentre My name is Panatigri Safiatou. I come from Sinkouinssi, a partner village of the epicentre of Boulkon. I am a housewife, and one of the three assessors of Boulkon s grinding mill. My economic activity is to sell garden products on market days. Before the epicentre was created, it was very difficult for us to grind our cereals. We women wasted a lot of time using local grinders (cylindrical stones used to grind grains), or we had to walk long ways just to grind our food. The nearest mill was in Arbolé, about ten kms (6 miles) away from us. All this took us a lot of time and did not allow us to have enough time for our chores. The women have been feeling relieved ever since the grinding mill was installed in the Sinkouinssi as part of the epicentre s development outreach. We now spend much less time hand-grinding and can devote more time to other activities, such as income-generating activities or instructional classes. Moreover, these mothers can now more closely follow their children s performance in school. The grinding mill is also a benefit to the women from the eight villages that surround Sinkouinssi, who are able to use the mill as well. This brings the women together in and binds us as a community. Burkina Faso Report to the Global Board (April 2012) Page 2 of 6

3 Panatigri demonstrates how to pour grain into the mill and activate it for quickly-ground foodstuffs that previously required hours of manual labour. Country by the Numbers 0 Epicentres in Phase 1 0 Epicentres in Phase 2 10 Epicentres in Phase 3 5 Epicentres in Phase 4 15 TOTAL Microfinance Programme Overview Note: Please remember financial data do not match THP s consolidated financial statements presented in the audit because they include rural banks. Burkina Faso Report to the Global Board (April 2012) Page 3 of 6

4 Monitoring & Evaluation Data THP-Burkina s significant rise in child health monitoring activities in 2011 was due to the hiring of a Health & Nutrition Program Officer in late After seeing a significant fall in program activities, THP-Burkina decided to jump-start this program in 2011, beginning with a boost in its human resources. The results of this decision are particularly evident in this graph. * All data presented herein is taken directly from the internal online Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) System, updated quarterly by Programme Country M&E Officers. The Global Office works continuously with each M&E Officer to audit and verify this data. Burkina Faso Report to the Global Board (April 2012) Page 4 of 6

5 Burkina Faso Report to the Global Board (April 2012) Page 5 of 6 In 2011, THP-Burkina saw many of its partner organisations on the ground conduct HIV/AIDS awareness-building activities. As a result, THP-Burkina scaled back its activities in this area to focus on other elements of the Epicentre Strategy.

6 Partnerships, Advocacy and Events THP-Burkina has established a partnership agreement with ADK, an epicentre-based association, for the management of Vy Epicentre. In order to ensure Vy s self-reliance, THP- Burkina prefers to share the supervision of epicentre-level activities with an epicentre-level association. In order to clearly define this relationship, a joint report, including all the amendments made by the members of the National Advisory Council, the staff and its lawyers, was issued to describe supervisory responsibilities of each partner. THP-Burkina is pursuing similar partnerships at Bissiga, Toulfé and Diapangou Epicentres. Future Plans In a cross-cutting approach, THP-Burkina will focus on food security and income generation by introducing training on value-added products (through epicentre-level training in food processing) and implementing warrantage programmes. To increase the sense of ownership among epicentre partners, THP-Burkina will train animators in education, health and nutrition, and monitoring and evaluation. Learn More about The Hunger Project Burkina Faso Support our work to end hunger sustainably Please Invest Today The Hunger Project UK Visit our Website Burkina Faso Report to the Global Board (April 2012) Page 6 of 6