GlobalGiving.org: Bring Clean Water to 500 Villagers in Burkina Faso

Preparing Our Return to Burkina to Implement the Project

Ina & Esu — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 18:58:33 GMT

Greetings and blessings for a happy, fulfilling new year. The BARKA Foundation is on the move and one to watch in 2012.

Right now we're readying a return to Tantiaka to implement the water, sanitation & hygiene project and getting all the final details in place. We actually expected to be in Burkina right now, however shortly before Christmas Ina broke her ankle. She is recovering beautifully and as soon as she's able to walk, we'll be on a plane to Burkina Faso.

So much is involved in preparing a trip like this. It's safe to say we will return forever changed after living with the people of Tantiaka for 3-4 months and fulfilling our promise to them to address the community's water needs. We're currently updating our vaccinations, purchasing necessary items such as hand pump water filters and working out travel arrangements. Since BARKA is still searching for operational funds, it would be most appreciated if you would consider making a donation at this time to help cover some of these trip-related expenses which otherwise must be covered out-of-pocket. Given the fact that we have not collected any salary for the past 5 years, your contributions are vital in ensuring the success of the project.

We are thrilled about the huge step we're about to take and so grateful to have you on this journey with us. We'll be in touch soon.

"Barka" is a West African word of gratitude, blessing & reciprocity.

Barka,

Ina & Esu

Final-Stage Fundraising

Ina & Esu — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 18:24:57 GMT

The Race Begins...

Greetings and Happy Autumn,

We wanted to take this opportunity to provide a brief update from The BARKA Foundation:

PUMPING UP THE VOLUME: BARKA's co-founders were invited to give a presentation at "Sustaining the Blue Planet Conference" (see link 1 below) and UNICEF offered BARKA a stipend to attend the "Water & Health Conference" at UNC Chapel Hill. Both conferences proved extremely worthwhile.
DANCE, SING: Earlier this month BARKA teamed up with the critically acclaimed African electronica band Burkina Electric to host a series of events at Williams College, the #1 liberal arts college in the US (see link 2 below) including workshops, discussions and a concert.
WALK, RUN: High school students from John Bapst HS hosted the 1st Annual 5k "Peace, Water & Wisdom Walk/Race" in Bangor, MA. See link 3 below for details and photos.
Right now, our exclusive focus is on securing the necessary project funds to implement the water project in the village of Tantiaka. We can't return to Burkina until we have the necessary financing to ensure the project's success.

Thank you for being a stakeholder in this project and for being invested in this project's success. There's a terrific opportunity this week to further help us through leveraging your donation with a match by GlobalGiving.

This Wednesday, October 19, at 12:01 am, Global Giving is holding their final Bonus Day of the year.

Thank you for your continued support and helping make sure that our next update comes from on the ground in Burkina.

Sincerely,

Ina & Esu Anahata, Co-Founders and the entire volunteer staff of The BARKA Foundation

BARKA + Burkina Electric Workshop, Mt. Greylock HS

BurkinaStylin' @ Williams College Dance Dept

Student-organizers of the 5K Event

Maine Youth Walking for Water for Burkina

Links:

Bonus Day, Burkina, D.C. and More

Arthur Tarley — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 02:50:00 GMT

BARKA has been busy at work preparing for its trip back to Burkina Faso in the Fall. And as always, we've been working hard to raise funds.

On Global Giving's July 15th Bonus Day, BARKA raised $1,100 in funds. Thank you to all that donated and continue to support our efforts in Tantiaka.
BARKA Co-Founder, Esu Anahata, was selected as an Ariane de Rothschild Fellow earlier this year. He left for Cambridge University on July 14th to start the Fellowship this summer. The focus of the Fellowship is social entrepreneurship and inter-cultural dialogue. Esu has been creating a business plan to help BARKA generate revenue and become a social enterprise.
BARKA Co-Founders, Ina and Esu Anahata, traveled last month to Washington D.C. and met with representatives from USAID and WASH Advocacy Initiative. They also had the opportunity to meet with the Burkina Faso's Embassy in D.C.
The BARKA Foundation has recently been selected to give a presentation about its work with students in the US and to speak about its innovative approach to water, sanitation & hygiene (WASH) at the "Sustaining the Blue Planet" Conference in Bozeman, MO from September 13-16. BARKA needs just 4,000 more donated frequent flier miles to afford tickets to Bozeman. If BARKA can raise the remaining frequent flier miles, the Conference may provide an opportunity for BARKA's work to get on the radar screens of numerous movers and shakers- which of course will help us expand our impact in Burkina Faso.
The BARKA Foundation was honored to be this year's beneficiary of last month's Annual "Duct Tape Regatta" organized by District 7930's Swampscott Rotary Club. Marblehead Rotary Club, Marblehead Harbor Rotary Club, Swampscott Rotary Club and Interact Club, North Shore Rotaract Club, and Tower High School Interact Club combined efforts to raise over $4500! These funds will be used as matching funds for a forthcoming $50,000 Future Vision grant application to Rotary International.
BARKA has two new blog posts up on its website: one on the youth role in sustainable development, and the other on the right of indigenous peoples to free, prior and informed Consent.
As mentioned above, BARKA is heading back to Burkina in the fall to begin work on the water, sanitation & hygiene project in Tantiaka, Le Petit Village. We are working to leverage our $25,000 in the bank by finding a partner to match that.
What's the difference between a squad and a guild? For BARKA’s Facebook Cause, “Peace, Water and Wisdom,” it’s 427 people. Our Cause is currently at 573 members and it takes 1,000 to become a guild. Here's what you can do to help; Join the Cause and recruit your friends to join "Peace, Water and Wisdom." What makes the Cause worth it? A great tool that the Cause provides allows members to create a birthday wish asking friends to donate to BARKA in honor of your birthday. Once you follow the simple steps to create a birthday wish, you can begin using Facebook, email, etc. to ask your friends to help meet your donation goal And you can even create a wish for a holiday, wedding or other occasion.

We are looking forward to big things, and we value all of your support along the way.

Walks for Water, Supermodels and Fundraising

Ina & Esu — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 02:53:00 GMT

BARKA Foundation is going through another growth spurt. Our singular focus right now is raising funds for projects and operations. Here's the latest news:

Georgie Badiel, a supermodel from Burkina Faso, and her friend and fellow supermodel, Heide Lindgren, have agreed to be Ambassadors for The BARKA Foundation. They are utilizing their connections and network within the modeling field to raise awareness and funds for BARKA's work. We're currently planning a benefit Fashion Show in NYC in September. Stay tuned!
We've just returned from a 10-day road trip, the 2nd one we've taken in 4 weeks, to meet with potential donors, partner schools and create new relationships with strategic partners. One example is Williams College- Esu's alma mater, which is currently in discussion with BARKA about several initiatives including summer internships, winter study programs and participating in the Williams-in-Africa program.
Two schools currently have Walks for Water planned in the coming weeks- Marblehead High School's Interact Club is planning a community walk on May 15th and John Bapst High School in Maine is organizing one on May 21st. BARKA is also speaking to schools in Berkshire County about a walk before the end of the school year as well. 100% of funds raised will go toward the project listed here on Global Giving.
Rotary Clubs in MA, particularly District 7930, are expressing interest in BARKA's water, sanitation & hygiene initiatives. We're inching closer toward being able to apply for a Future Vision Grant to Rotary International. Recently, we had the opportunity to speak to many young rotarians at the district-wide Interact Club meeting in Woburn, MA. Marblehead students will be reaching out to them to invite their participation in the upcoming walk, and BARKA hopes to make new connections with their associated Rotary Clubs.

In other news, Burkina Faso is experiencing some unrest given the highly volatile situations in neighboring Ivory Coast and nearby Libya. We're monitoring the situation closely and will keep you up to date on any important news.

Thank you for your support. We're so grateful to be on this extraordinary journey together with you. Together, we are changing the world in a small yet significant way.

'Barka' is an African word of gratitude, blessing & reciprocity.

Barka,

Ina & Esu

February Fundraising SLAM: $28,000 in 28 Days

Ina & Esu — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 14:28:50 GMT

Dear Project Donors and Stakeholders,

We have some exciting news to share with you.

Firstly, we have adjusted the project fundraising goal on Global Giving to reflect the acquisition of over $14,000 raised during the NYC Marathon (as discussed in our most recent project report).

We have just over $28,000 to raise to complete project funding. And there is a growing sense of urgency in which to do it. People in the village are dying. Their need is urgent. In addition, the rains are right around the corner. It's important we return to Burkina to drill the well before the onset of the rainy season in May. Therefore we're setting a goal to raise the necessary funding THIS MONTH in order to return to Burkina Faso in March.

$28,000 in the month of February... That's $1000/day to raise on behalf of a nation in which 64% of the population lives on less than $1/day. We're calling it a Fundraising SLAM. Today we begin implementing a grassroots fundraising effort the likes of which we've never seen. We are reaching out to friends, family, prospective NGO partners, and donor organizations, while alerting the major print, radio, TV and online news media, and making unprecedented use of our social networks on facebook, twitter, Global Giving, Network for Good and LinkedIn. We're writing not only to update you... we also need your help to make this happen.

Let us remind you of our GOALS during the 4-moth project:

Establish a self-determined local water & sanitation committee
Drill 1 new well
Fix 1 well
Construct gender-specific composting toilets
Begin hygiene education at the local school
Create demand for sanitation through social networking

You are receiving this project update because you have made a financial contribution to The BARKA Foundation. You are part of BARKA's inner circle of supporters. We need to turn to you once again for your help.

If it is possible to make a donation at this time, we ask you to give as generously as you can. You can simply click on the Global Giving Project Page as you have before.

Global Giving also has a really great feature that allows you to host your own fundraiser. All we need is 28 people to each commit to raising $1000. This is especially powerful because it introduces us to new people and inspires others who don't yet know about BARKA Foundation. To learn more about hosting your own fundraiser, click here. We'll help guide you through the process and support you every way we can-- we'll even offer special gifts such as a DVD of BARKA! BURKINA, a BARKA t-shirt, or even some of Ina's handmade jewelry (soon to be available on BARKA's website) to your highest donors and to you.

There are other ways to greatly support the cause without spending a dime (and barely lifting a finger!). Help us amplify our message on facebook by posting to your friends, or "Re-Tweet" our SLAM campaigns messages to your followers.

Click here to "LIKE" BARKA on facebook.

Click here to follow us on Twitter.

And of course, we ask you to please keep us, and the people of Le Petit Village, in your prayers and good thoughts.

'Barka' is an African word of gratitude, blessing & reciprocity. The best way we know how to say thank to you for your care, concern, generosity and willingness to join us on this journey, is to say barka.

With love & gratitude,

ina & esu

Co-Founders

Winter 2011 Update

Ina & Esu — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 21:41:10 GMT

Team BARKA

Greetings Dear Supporters and Stakeholders of The BARKA Foundation,

Things are moving forward quickly. We finished 2010 with a great deal of positive momentum, having signed MOUs (partnerships agreements) with Project WET Foundation and H2O For Life. Project WET focuses on hygiene education and will be helping BARKA to specifically tailor hygiene education materials to the language, culture and region of the Gour'mache people, the beneficiaries of this project. H2O For Life will be pairing schools in the US to help raise funds for certain aspects of this project, such as the drilling of the well, the fixing of a well, and so on. The really exciting part is that we're in discussion with both organizations about extending hygiene education to all 58 schools of the Gourma Province in Burkina Faso (this is the province where Tantiaka, or La Petite, is located). Then each of those schools will be paired with 58 schools in the US. In BARKA's next trip to Burkina we'll be exploring details and laying groundwork for this to happen.

In other exciting news, as readers of our newsletter already know, "Team BARKA" raised over $20,000 in the NYC Marathon, $14,000 of which will be added to the funds you've already contributed for this project. Team BARKA consisted of 3 Canadian marathoners, all from Quebec. This has opened the door for opportunities to engage with new communities, particularly Quebec City and Montreal.

In US-based community news, we recently spoke with the Rotary Club in Bridgton, Maine which expressed a deep desire to work with BARKA on this project. Our outreach to Rotaries, schools, faith-based and civic organizations, youth and women's groups is ongoing... if you know of anyone who might be interested in getting involved, please let us know! Feel free to call us directly at 413-446-7466 or email us at inaandesu@barkafoundation.org.

December's campaign to increase the number of monthly online donors was a success as that number increased 150%. Please let us know if you'd like to become a monthly donor to The BARKA Foundation. Thank you all for your continued support.

Lastly, we ask you all to keep us in your prayers and positive thoughts as a proposal is going out this week to a major donor organization which may help us return to Burkina as early as February or March for a period of 3-4 months to implement this project that you're all a part of... when we go, we'll be taking you with us every step of the way through project reports, blog entries, photo and video uploads, tweets and more.

With love & light,

ina & esu

Links:

New Video about raising awareness and funds via Walks for Water

Fall Status Report

Ina & Esu — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 15:11:16 GMT

Greetings Project donors, supporters and stakeholders,

We feel blessed to have so much support around us. In recent months BARKA Foundation has attracted several pro bono advisors in the field of sustainable development who are helping us in the areas of strategic planning, fundraising and project development. The results can be found in the attached document: WASH + Irrigation + Reforestation. The document designer, Jennifer Cain, also donated her services and did a stellar job. The Project Summary extends the project posted here on Global Giving to include irrigation and reforestation, two components which will enable villagers to generate income. Without this type of financial mechanism within a village, breaking the poverty cycle is not possible. BARKA Foundation will be using this document to apply for grants and major gifts for both project and organizational funds. Please check it out to get the full picture of our work, methodology and vision for a village micro-model to create sustainable empowerment and autonomy.

A brief recap of other activities includes the following:

3 Canadians from Quebec have already raised over $16,000 for BARKA by running the NYC Marathon which will take place on November 7. Check out our website for updates and to follow the runners during the race. They'll be wearing BARKA t-shirts and draped in the Burkina Faso flag! See link to online press release below.
BARKA's co-founders, Ina & Esu, are putting the finishing touches on an Echoing Green Fellowship Application. Although extremely competitive, 2/3 of past winners have achieved sustainability for their organizations.
BARKA is continuing to deepen its relations with schools in NY, MA and ME- Ina & Esu are scheduled to speak at an assembly at John Bapst Memorial High School in December, and later this month will be re-connecting with schools in Berkshire County to continue integrating BARKA's sustainable development work into service-learning curricula. Conversations have begun with Calhoun School in NYC and BARKA is discussing a student exchange program for seniors at Marblehead High School for Spring 2011.
Stay tuned for e-commerce from BARKA's website- DVDs, t-shirts, gift cards, and Ina's one-of-a-kind knitwear and jewelry... in time for the holiday season. Special thanks to volunteer webmaster (mistress) Ali Thomson and Ed Dowd working hard for BARKA in Europe.
Thanks to a team of volunteer video editors found through Idealist.org, BARKA has begun logging and editing 80 hours of previously unseen footage from the 6 months spent in Burkina during 2009. A new documentary film is underway and will be submitted to FESPACO, Africa's largest film festival.
Lastly, BARKA's relationships with Rotary Clubs continue to expand. Earlier this month Ina & Esu gave a presentation to the Marblehead Harbor Rotary Club which is currently considering a sponsoring role for BARKA's WASH+ Pilot as part of Rotary Foundation's Future Vision Plan.

Thank you all so much for your continued support on all levels. At this point we've secured funds for a trip to Burkina in December during which BARKA will conduct final research, planning and confirm in-country partnerships before project implementation. As always, we'll keep you posted. Barka!

Links:

Team BARKA Races NYC Marathon Press Release

Attachments:

WASH+ Irrigation + Reforestation Project Summary (PDF)

A Visit to Barka Foundation in Burkina Faso

Alexis Nadin — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 18:46:10 GMT

During my brief visit with the Barka Foundation in Burkina Faso I was able to meet with three individuals closely associated with the organization: Anna, a former translator and administrator, Daniel, a current Board member, and Peace, an enthusiastic supporter and collaborator. Each individual spoke highly of the organization’s founders, Ina and Esu, whose love, dedication, and zeal has been made obvious by their many trips to Burkina Faso and the commitments that have been made by the Barka Foundation.

The Barka Foundation does not have any current projects in Burkina Faso. Instead, the organization is presently involved in a sizeable fundraising campaign from which it hopes to earn enough capital to begin an ambitious series of projects in a small village outside of Fada in Burkina Faso. So, while I was there I was unable to visit any projects and unfortunately I did not visit the site of future projects, at the request of the Foundation, which was understandably concerned that my visit would send mixed messages to the community.

However, I was fortunate to hear about some of the organization’s past endeavors, including a walk for water, a concert, and a film series all of which were hosted by Barka Foundation in collaboration with other organizations in Ouagadougou. Daniel, who helped to organize these events, explained that they were the first of their kind in Ouagadougou and was excited about their success. I was also able to speak with Anna about the ways in which Ina and Esu have worked with the Burkinabe community to identify the needs in their village, particularly clean water and sanitation, in anticipation of future projects.

I’m looking forward to returning to Burkina Faso in the years to come to see the impact that the Barka Foundation has on the ground.

Alexis just recently returned from a month-long visit to West Africa where she visited several GlobalGiving projects. Learn more about her trip at www.itfwa.wordpress.com.

Walking for Water with US schools

Ina & Esu — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 20:57:18 GMT

Peace, Water & Wisdom Walk

BARKA Foundation would like to thank everyone who rose to the occasion of the Global Giving Open Challenge which earned The BARKA Foundation a permanent spot on GG's web portal. We also wish to express our gratitude to Global Giving for the valuable service they provide. Directly after becoming part of their family, they oriented us to the many services they provide, including this quarterly update to you and everyone who's made a donation to the cause through their site. Last week one of BARKA's photographs was selected as a finalist in the Global Giving's photo competition- thanks to everyone who voted for us!

In other news, BARKA raised almost $8000 through "Peace, Water & Wisdom Walks" with many schools throughout the northeast US. Co-founders Ina & Esu spoke to more than 1000 students in April and May alerting them to the global water crisis, the extreme need in Burkina Faso, and concrete ways to help and get involved. As a result students from 6 schools organized walks for water, a benefit concert, a pizza fundraiser, a hot dog cookout, and donated funds from dress-down day (who knew it cost $1 to wear jeans and t-shirts?!). BARKA is currently searching for donors to match funds raised through all these initiatives.

We still have a way to go before we have raised enough to return to Burkina to implement the project, however this Spring's activities have created a lot of momentum which we think will help attract further funding. Our nose is to the grindstone applying for project grants, creating new strategic partnerships, and searching for new volunteers.

A few last thoughts to leave you with-- Jazz for Peace contacted us about organizing a Benefit Concert for BARKA. This is still in the conceptual stage however there is a great deal of excitement about doing it in Burkina Faso during the International Day of Peace (September 17-21). We'll keep you posted. All for Africa, a new solidarity partner, has made NYC Marathon spots available to BARKA for fundraising purposes and one intrepid runner, Monique Laurion of Quebec (sister of BARKA volunteer & donor Erika Laurion) has run right up to the starting gate to get her chance to be in the big race. Rumor has it she'll even carry the Burkina flag!

Thank you for your attention and support on so many levels. In a world rife with crisis, we feel blessed to be on this journey to create a culture of peace and provide a sustainable home for the children of the future.

With love and gratitude, Ina & Esu

8th Graders Heft 40 pounds of H2O

Students Walk with Water Jugs on Their Heads

4th Graders Motivated to Change the World

Benefit Concert @ Marblehead High School

Walk for Water with Marblehead, MA Community

Global Giving Photo Contest Finalist

Links: