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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