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Where we work
Burkina Faso
Bam Province
Bazega Province
Oubritenga Province
Zondoma Province
Eritrea
Ethiopia
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Malawi
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Bonkoungou Saidon, a honey producer at wend Yam, Burkina

Self Help Africa in Burkina Faso

Self Help Africa started working with partners in Burkina Faso in 2008.

Communities receive support and training in sustainable agriculture activities. Farmers are shown how to manage the fertility of the soil without chemical fertilizers to make the most out of their land. Farmers are also encouraged to use improved seed varieties which are more drought tolerant and provide higher yields. The projects will also promote small business activities particularly beekeeping, which provide farmers with an alternative source of income. The key objective of all of the projects is to ensure that each family has three acceptable meals per day the whole year round.

Self Help Africa has a West Africa office in Ouagadougou, which is staffed by local people.

Burkina Faso country profile

Formerly 'Upper Volta', Burkina Faso is extremely poor even by West African standards. The country is landlocked, and has suffered from recurring droughts, and political instability. The country is one of the poorest in the world, with one-quarter of the population estimated to live on less than $1 a day.

The country has few valuable natural resources and relies primarily on agriculture. 83% of the total population live in rural areas and depend on local natural resources for their livelihoods. However, the difficulties of recurring droughts or floods, high population pressures, and poor soil present many challenges for crop production. Rainfall is both seasonal and variable and there is a trend of decreasing annual rainfall. The prevalence of HIV/AIDS is increasing with the most recent estimate standing at 6.5%.

The country is heavily dependent on foreign aid and vulnerable to fluctuations in the world prices of cotton, fruits, vegetables and gold which are the main exports.


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Burkina Faso facts
Full name:
Burkina Faso
Population:14.8 million
Capital:Ouagadougou
Area:105,800 sq miles
Major languages:French, indigenous languages
Major religions:Indigenous beliefs, Islam, Christianity
Life expectancy:51 (male), 54 (female)
GNP per capita:$400 per annum
      
BURKINA FASO                  ERITREA                  ETHIOPIA                  GHANA                KENYA                MALAWI                TOGO                UGANDA                ZAMBIA                
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Self Help Africa is an international charity registered in Ireland and the United Kingdom Registered charity number: 6663 (Ireland), and 298830 (UK)
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