1) Monitoring and Evaluation of Microprojects
Three members of TN benefited from micro projects at the end of 2015 set up by the ONG Fauteuils Roulants au Sud (Wheelchairs in the South formerly Handicap Solidaire Suisse). Two members of TN accompanied Madeleine Meroz, the person in charge of evaluating these projects, to visit the beneficiaries. She was happy with the results.
2) Extraordinary General Meeting
On the 8th of April TN called an EGM to inform its members of its activities and to renew the office membership. Over half of current members were present. The meeting was chaired by a council member of the National Federation of Artisans of Burkina Faso.
The office committee renewed their membership positions : leather craftsman Abas as President, Evariste, children’s toy maker, Vice President, Issouf, printmaker, the general secretary. His deputy is catering specialist Clementine, the treasurer is clothes designer Leonie and her deputy is clothes designer Irene. Jewellery designer Rasmata is the secretary and her deputy is keyring-maker Seni.
Mme Zoénabou remains the TN’s co-ordinator and doll maker Cécile is council member.
Present members at the meeting appreciated positively the activities led by TN.
The status of TN and its rules and regulations were formally approved.
3) Fundraising
We are still waiting for the decision of the state regarding the purchase of our plot of land.
4) Partnerships
TN sent a partnership request to the Burkinabé Association of Fundraising.
5) Projects :
The first aim of a human being is to be in good health before embarking on any activity. The health of all members of TN is very important which is why TN wants to lead activities in the fight against HIV and AIDS and other STIs in order to achieve TN’s goals.
TN has developed a project to fight against HIV, AIDS and STIs for the benefit of its members, which it submitted to the National Council against HIV, AIDS and STIs on the 28th April.
The project focuses on 3 main areas but TN will intervene in areas 1 and 3 which are:
3. Governance, financing of the response and management of strategic information on HIV/ AIDS and STIs. The total budget for this project is 4 393 200 CFA / £5758
We have our fingers crossed that it will work.
5.2
We are collaborating on a project with an organisation in the UK to help sell our crafts.
6 ) Sales
6.1 Crafts
In Burkina Faso, total sales for this period are 172 085 CFA / £226. 20% for TN: 34417 CFA/ £45 and £180 for the artisans concerned.
6.2 Catering Service
We have fulfilled two orders for the catering service: one for the Burkinabé Association of Fundraising serving 8 people totalling 24 000 F CFA/ £31 with a profit of 7000 F CFA/ £9.
The second booking was for a ‘pause café’ for the Ministry of Women, National Solidarity and Family. This was for 140 people totalling 350 000 F CFA/ £459 with a profit of 73 500 F CFA/ £96.
6.3 Cereal Sales
Of the 50 sacks of corn bought, we have sold 15 at 225000 F CFA/ £295. The purchase price was 202500/ £265 so we made a 22500 F CFA/ £30 profit.
We sold one sack of cornflour at 20600 / £ 27 giving a profit of 3000 F CFA/ £4.
7 Hiring out of equipment
Total profit for the rental of chairs and marquee was 15000 F CFA/ £20.
8) Publicising Services
We created 12 leaflets publicising the various services we offer and we delivered them to different ministries and NGOs.
Conclusion
Overall sales are insufficient. After having paid the members for sales and services, profits are put towards the running of the organisation.
Despite poor revenue overall, some members testify to the positive impact that TN has for them.
Rasmata has been able to pay for her daughter Rachidatou ’s school fees this year.
The three beneficiaries of micro projects, including bronze craftsman Issouf, testify that with the micro projects their smallholdings are prospering as well as their craft activities. They are able to support their own needs and those of their families.
Overall, the activities carried out have had a positive impact on TN.
We thank everyone: the members, the partners, the donors, our clients, our ex team leaders, the neighbours of TN, all of whom have contributed to the benefit of Tigoung Nonma.
Progress in Ouagadougou
Following our request to meet with the mayor of District 11, we were received on the 09/02/17. The exchanges were fruitful and the mayor promised a plot of land which the district will subsidise, when he receives the order to distribute plots. This is brilliant news!!! TN is still waiting for responses from the other three districts.
Other recent activities include
Fundraising in the UK
Alice has started an application to Rotary International and has joined her local Rotary club. She has also started to contact other organisations for funding.
Since June Alice has completed eight commissions which have raised £330 in total. She is currently working on another commission and has one in the pipeline. She has set up a website to raise awareness about this fundraising initiative, to promote hers and TN members’ work and the project as a whole: www.alicemcgonnell.com
Alice has a place at the University of the Creative Arts where they run a part-time course which starts in September. She focussed her portfolio around Tigoung Nonma and this project.
Progress on funding continues to be made online- we raised $11,787 (£9,500) in 2016. This was thanks to loyal and new donors, a fundraising evening organised and run by generous volunteers which raised £3000 and a run by two volunteers which raised £600 in September. In December we also had some amazingly generous donations during the matching campaign so thank you!
Sales
Since October, £234 ($290) worth of TN members’ arts and crafts have been sold from the UK. This is good although obviously we always want to improve sales. Sales have been made on Etsy, at a couple of markets and through direct made-to-measure clothes orders. We have received a new order for girl’s pyjama trousers and Rasmata’s jewellery collection seems to be popular; maybe these will be lines to develop in the future. Every sale helps to reduce members’ poverty and 20% of their earnings goes back into the cooperative, so keep your eye on Etsy for gifts!
Thank you for your kindness and support
Links:
Fundraising
We reached our first official fundraising goal early in October: $17 500. This is a great achievement and one which we should all be proud of. Thanks to your support and to TN’s partnership with Friends of Burkina Faso we have accumulated around $23 200 into our workshop fund. We recently submitted a new application to the GlobalGiving site to continue fundraising on the platform. We have enough now to purchase a plot of land, however it is not enough to buy terrain centrally which we are all eager to do. We want to see TN develop!
A letter of recommendation has been written and sent to TN by Mead and Tom of Friends of Burkina Faso, to give to the Burkina Faso’s secretary of state, who heads the department for disability and inclusion. This is to bolster TN’s appeal for financial support for the project. TN’s operations were commended by government representatives who requested the letter. We are hopeful that this recognition will translate into support.
Sales
Arts and crafts
Another order has been placed with Léonie for two men’s shirts and four sets of women’s pyjama trousers. Overall six sales have been made on craft website Etsy for TN products which doesn’t seem like many, however all of this makes a lot of difference to the artisans receiving the money.
The UK charity LAFI participated in ‘Africa on the Square’ in Trafalgar square in London in October. This was a large scale event celebrating African culture organised by the Mayor of London, with music, markets and food stalls filling up the whole square. The LAFI stall was busy and the TN products sold well.
I will be selling TN products at two Christmas fairs in the coming month.
Cereal sale
Little by little, clients are coming to buy TN’s cereals and juice drink products: a drink made of hibiscus flowers, for example. This first experience of selling different food products has meant that TN has been able to identify which cereals are the most popular to prepare to sell in 2017.
Events
TN participated in the 9th edition of the theatre and art festival Récréatrales. During this week, $93 worth of Arts and Crafts were sold of which 20% will go to the co-operative and 80% will go to the artisans.
The catering service made $465 and spent $452. The majority of expenditure was to pay the 11 members working.
Meetings
The members held monthly meetings and called extra ones in cases of urgency.
IMPACT:
TN’s participation in the art festival Récréatrales increased visibility of the co-operative and contributed to the reduction poverty among some of the members, despite low sales overall.
Conclusion
Although there have been low sales due to the economic situation in Burkina Faso, TN was able to contribute to the reduction of its members poverty through sales in England via Alice and Lafi Burkina.
