Clean Water for Rural Villagers in Burkina Faso

Dear Friends of BARKA,

Ina and I are pleased to provide an update on what's happening in Burkina Faso.

Firstly, the rains were plentiful this rainy season which is just now coming to an end. For the subsistence farmers who make up 90% of Burkina's population, too much or too little rain can be catastrophic. The food each family grows is all the food they have to last them until next year's harvest. Thankfully, this year the rains were steady. Despite some flooding, they were good for farmers' staple crops.

Due to the rains, it is often hard to get to places because dirt roads become flooded and impassable. The village of Lampiadi has been waiting for its new well since June. The well driller tried on 3 occasions to get to the village but couldn't because roads had been washed out. We're now hoping that by the next time we send a project report, Lampiadi will be drinking clean water from a newly drilled well. Stay tuned!

Since our last project report, BARKA worked with two interns from 2iE, the renowned water research institute in Ouagadougou. Their task was to assist BARKA to conduct two "focus groups" to gain valuable information for BARKA's ceramic water filter project. This project is in effect a social enterprise-- a business that would create sustainable revenue to make ceramic water filters available to rural villagers in Burkina. The objective of the focus group was to test out the perceived need for water filtration, determine people's "willingness to pay" to determine pricing, test aesthetic preferences, and to brainstorm product names. The focus groups were held in September and were well attended> We are currently analyzing the data our team on the ground collected. Overall, conducting these meetings helped to strengthen our study of the market and advance the goals of this project.

We expect to return to Burkina Faso after Thanksgiving to begin work on a new project. We will keep you informed every step of the way.  Thank you for your support and for being on this journey together with us. It would not be possible without your financial contributions which have powered BARKA's work forward. BARKA continues to rely on your generosity and commitment to this work. Thank you, bless you, barka!