The Women Environmental Programme Burkina NGO Launches a New Project

The NGO Women Environmental Programme (WEP Burkina) launched a project to support the economic empowerment of vulnerable women and girls in the village of Roumtenga on February 10th, 2023. This project will allow 100 vulnerable women and girls to be hosted in the agro-ecological center in order to give them theoretical and practical courses on agro-ecological techniques, with the financial support of the fund “La Francophonie avec Elles” of the International Organization of the Francophonie.

The launching ceremony took place in the village of Roumtenga, located in district n°4 of Ouagadougou, under the presidency of the technical advisor of the ministry in charge of agriculture, Pascal Zongo. It was attended by representatives of the Ministry of Environment, Water and Sanitation, the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Resources and Fisheries, and the Ministry of Solidarity, Humanitarian Action, National Reconciliation, Gender and Family.

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Partners of the Women Environmental Programme NGO as well as beneficiaries of the project were also present

Through the Economic Empowerment Support Project for vulnerable women and girls in the village of Roumtenga, Women Environmental Programme (WEP Burkina) aims to contribute to sustainable agricultural intensification through the promotion of agroecology. To do so, several activities are planned, including the sensitization of 100 vulnerable women and girls to agricultural entrepreneurship and the use of organic seeds and pesticides.

It combines a training package in intensive and sustainable agricultural and market gardening production techniques, the production of biopesticides, and the provision of installation kits subsidized at 75% for each of the three (03) cooperatives that will be trained. The training, it should be noted, will take place within the agroecological center. In her speech, the coordinator of the NGO, Marie-Pierre Zoungrana/Compaoré, insisted on the impact of this project for the vulnerable women and girls of the village.

“If the capacities of the beneficiaries are strengthened through the various training sessions; if the knowledge provided is well assimilated and put into practice in accordance with the expectations of the project, then the beneficiaries would see their financial income grow. This will help bring stability and social cohesion to the households. In addition, women and girls will become real actors in the socio-economic development of their locality and there could be a reduction of poverty and gender inequalities,” she said.

Also, she continues, crop productivity will be of good quality and quantity, and the cultivable areas restored and preserved if the use of biopesticides and good agroecological practices are effective. As for the choice of the village of Roumtenga for the implementation of this project, it was based on the observation that despite all the potentialities (the presence of a dam and arable land), the women and girls who practice agriculture are not achieving satisfactory results.

This 18-month project will be carried out in partnership with the Namalgbzanga association

The technical advisor of the Ministry of Agriculture, Pascal Zongo, underlined the great contribution of women to the development of agricultural production with 83% of the agricultural workforce. Continuing, Mr. Zongo said that women participate significantly in the fight against hunger, food insecurity, and malnutrition. Given the importance of agriculture and the role of women in the development process, Burkina Faso has adopted several policies and laws to improve poor rural women’s access to productive resources.

In addition, many actions have been undertaken to improve the living conditions of Burkinabe rural women. According to the technical advisor, these include the agricultural mechanization program or “Operation 100,000 ploughs”, which has enabled 48% of agricultural women to be equipped with ploughs and draught animals; the 30% quota for rural women on developed land, which today means that 46% of rural women have benefited from new developed land; and the existence of a national rural sector policy. However, enormous challenges remain.

This is why it is appropriate to focus on them. According to the representative of the Minister of Agriculture, this project of the NGO WEP Burkina reinforces the actions of the government to improve the living conditions of rural women farmers. The support of the Ministry of Agriculture as well as other partner ministries (Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Gender) is diversified.

The main beneficiaries of WEP Burkina project were present

“Our contribution will be to accompany the project through technical advisory support. Because our ministries have advisory support networks at the level of the different localities through our technicians to contribute to capacity building, and practical actions in the field and also provide advice and guidance. Eventually, these women and girls who will benefit from the project can benefit from other support outside of the project, but which are part of the government’s actions in terms of equipment. We pay special attention to women farmers by providing them with agricultural equipment, draft animals, improved seeds, fertilizers and also by training them,” said Mr. Zongo.

Imam Aboubacar Nabolé was pleased with the choice of their village for the implementation of this project. He invited the beneficiaries to invest fully in the implementation of the project. Like his predecessor, the women’s representative, Mariam Ouédraogo, praised the initiative and expressed her gratitude to the NGO WEP Burkina which has been accompanying them for many years.

Created in 2011, WEP Burkina works for the promotion and protection of the environment in Burkina Faso while taking into account the participation and inclusion of women, especially the most vulnerable.

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(Featured image by vardansevan via Pixabay)

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First published in le faso.net, a third-party contributor translated and adapted the article from the original. In case of discrepancy, the original will prevail.

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