Economic Emancipation for 70 Women in Burkina Faso

The joint journey between GuardAvanti and Wend-Songda has never stopped. The trust that binds us together allows us to move forward, although there is still a long way to go.

We firmly believe in this project, just as we firmly believe in a world that allows women, whatever their environment is, to affirm and emancipate themselves economically.
Wend-Songda's promoting force makes us believe that it only takes little to change the direction of the village of Dodougou. There has been some progress; and we keep collecting every cent, keeping the funds bounded until we have enough to start the project.

In an economic period, as difficult as the one we are experiencing, with ongoing inflation due to global disorders, only solidarity and commitment to each other can bring us forward. The Russo-Ukrainian war and its consequence, such as the unbeliavable increase of food prices, is having a strong impact also in Burkina Faso. In 2023, we consider this project even more relevant to generate new income and help the village.

Thank you for your support

Sincerely,
Marco
for
Wend-Songda and the GuardAvanti team

When we look back at when we started this fundraising, upon request of the grassroot women group Wend Songda, the world seems another one. So many unpredictable, global disruptions happened, that nothing is the same anymore.

During the pandemic all efforts of donors where focused on the Covid emergency; when the world started breathing again, in Burkina Faso unrests in some parts of the country caused a big internal movement of people: many families that looked for safe places to live, relocated to the village of Dodougou, with the consequence that the well, that we built in 2019, was not sufficient anymore for the needs of all the inhabitants. Wend Songda then asked us to restore an old well in the outskirts of the village, so the fundraising effort was diverted to this small project; thanks to many donors, now the village has enought water for the need of everyone. 

The outbreak of war in Ukraina, had and has as a consequence, the unbeliavable increase of food prices, in particular wheat, rice, maize: nowadays, many families can't afford anymore to buy the very base of their meals, in Burkina Faso.  
So, now more than ever, this project is vital for the very survival of many families in Dodougou: with some little capital to invest in small economic activities, the women (mothers) of the group Wend Songda could raise the small money needed to sustain their children.

Again, very understandably, the efforts of many donors - especially in Europe - are concentrated in the Ukrainian refugees crisis. But we really hope that, even little by little, the funding of this project can reach soon the amount needed to start it.

Please spread the word!

Thanks for your attention and continuous support

Licia

on behalf of all the Wend Songda women and the Guardavanti team

In January we shared with you the stressing situation in which the Dodougou village found itself.
3 years ago we started a project to dig a well in this village, where lack of water was a vital problem.

The well solved the village's problems for several months. But last fall the situation worsened: many refugee families - especially women and children - came and settled in the village because of the serious unrest in the north of the country.

Due to the urgency of the situation the local group of women "Wend-Songda", beneficiary of this microcredit project, asked us to divert our efforts in fundraising for few months.
In February we began the rehabilitation of an old abandoned well: a hand pump was installed, the cement base built, and the water is now coming out in abundance!

Where a few months ago there was only earth and stones today water gushes.
The support of so many precious donors, has served to bring water, life, joy to the entire village of Dodougou.

Happily, we can now get back to focusing on this Economic Emancipation project that requires a stronger effort. Please, spread the word among family and friends!

Thanks for following us.

Sincerely,
Marco
for
Wend-Songda and the Guardavanti's team

In our last report, we gave an update about the situation of the village, under stress due to two main reasons: the impact of the Covid waves on the local subsistence econonomy, and the increase of the village's population due to families coming from the north of the country, where unrest and violences ahve been forcing a lot of people to migrate in safer parts of the Country.

In the last months, Dodougou had to face shortage of water: the borehole and the pump that was built 3 years ago thanks to the generosity of many GlobalGiving supporters, despite working perfectly, was not enough for everybody anymore. Due to the higher amount of water needed for the Covid, and the many new families, women and children waited in line at the water pump for hours, some started again the long walks to distant wells and boreholes.
Upon request of the women of the local groop "Wend-Songda", the group that will be the beneficiary of this microcredit project, we "diverted" our efforts in fundraising for few months, to bring back to life an old borehole at the edge of the village, providing a hand pump. The small project was funded (through different fundraising channels, other than GlobalGiving), the money has just been sent; now we can put our efforts on the microcredit again.

The women need the microcredit, to invest a little capital to grow their small activities, to sustain their children and gain a small independence.

We are collecting every cent, keeping the funds bounded until we have enough to start the project.

We thank all our supporter, and keep them updated on any development in the project. Please, spread the word among family and friends!

Thanks for following us.

Licia

Links:

• Project page on Guardavanti website

The Covid emergency with the subsequent lockdowns had a terrible impact on the economy in Burkina Faso as everywhere in Africa: this is even more true in the area of Dodougou. Closing down the markets led to a stop of the little commerces that kept the families alive; moreover, the unrest and violences in other parts of the country, have been causing a massive internal migration toward the area of Dodougou village, that have been seeing his population increase with desperate families who arrived with nothing.

The women of the local groop "Wend-Songda" need the microcredit more than ever; now that the markets have reopened, they need to invest a little capital to grow sesame and vegetable to bring to the market and sell in the village. 
We are collecting every cent, keeping the funds bounded until we have enough to start the project.

We thank all our supporter, and keep them updated on any development in the project. Please, spread the word among family and friends!

Thanks for following us.

Licia