Clean Water for Rural Villagers in Burkina Faso

Dear BARKA Supporters,

The last 3 months were full of very intensive work on the ground for BARKA Foundation.

We implemented a project to empower high school girls to stay in school through menstrual hygiene management. It's hard to believe, but something as natural as a woman's menstrual cycle can mean the end of a girl's education in a country like Burkina Faso. It's a taboo subject, and girls aren't informed about menstruation until it happens. Schools have no resources to support these girls who are often shunned and humiliated. BARKA worked with two powerful female teachers to lead a series of sensitization trainings that reached more than 2000 students in Fada. The project was a huge success and will continue in the Fall when schools resume classes.

BARKA's theatre troupe also performed a new play to promote improved agricultural techniques to help smallscale farmers deal with the effects of climate change. Post-performance debates were lively and full of engaged dialogue by the local population who made commitments to using these new simple yet powerful innovations. This project was also a major success- BARKA's 2nd "hit" in the domain of theatre sensitization.

As if that's not all, BARKA Foundation took important initial steps to begin selling water filters in the rural market. This is a project to create a sustainable business to produce, sell and distribute ceramic water filters. BARKA is partnered with a local ceramics company and 2iE, a water research institute, both based in Ouagadougou.

In our first session to introduce and sell filters to a rural village, we gave a presentation of how they work and explained the benefits and need for water filtration. Out of the 20 families who were present at the meeting, 12 of them purchased filters- that's 60%! This was a very auspicious debut and provided further proof that rural villagers will purchase filters for health reasons, even at a time of year when income is scarce.

We'd like to thank you for your support of BARKA's work in Burkina Faso and want you to know that your financial contributions are going to good use to create resilience, empowerment and prosperity for some of the most vulnerable people on the globe. Barka!

Dear BARKA Supporter,

Good news: the new well in Lampiadi has a completed superstructure around it. Villagers mobilized themselves to transport 30 bags of cement which BARKA purchased with project funds, and the well driller donated their labor to construct the platform and reservoir where animals will drink at a safe distance from people. We're now in discussion with the village community about creating a garden area next to the well and we'll be able to update you about that in our next report.

In related news, BARKA's new project "Empowering Girls through Menstrual Hygiene Management" has struck a chord in donors.

We've raised over $5000 in two weeks from 78 donors.
On Women's Day on March 8th we received 33 donations!
Can we get 22 more in our last few hours to break 100?

It is a testament that we're on the right track and doing the right thing. BARKA has been researching this topic for 4 years and finally, with an inspirational spark from Global Giving, and the incredible support of our donors, we have begun.

Please donate here to make a contribution to the Girl Fund Campaign before it ends tomorrow, March 15 at 11:59pm ET.

Tell your friends and family to donate just $10 to support girls taking control over their bodies.

We need your help to be among the top 4 projects with the most donors to get selected into GlobalGiving's Girl Fund and get funding for a year.

Imagine the number of girls we could help if we get that funding!

• Schools will get girls-only washrooms stocked with clean water and soap
• BARKA's theatre troupe will tour Fada's 27 high schools
• ...and thousands of girls will be better off.

JOIN US.  MAKE A $10 DONATION NOW!