The 3rd goal of the Peace Corps aims to help Americans understand the people and cultures of other countries. Here in Burkina Faso the ICT committee is working on promoting that goal. ICT memebers Emily Bruton(G26), David Gonzalez (G25) and Tyler Lloyd (G26) created a video highlighting the talented young artisan Ismaël Cissé.  Ismaël works and lives in Ouagadougou, you can find him and his artwork at the Artisan Village next to SIAO. For more videos check out our vimeo page at: https://vimeo.com/peacecorpsbf and follow us on twitter @PeaceCorpsBF.

During the process of obtaining the mill for the women's association of Yo, the community members were able meet their short-term goals set at the start of the project.  Before installing the mill, the women went through the process of setting short-term and long-term Awareness-raising on bookkeeping and accounting was done with women from the association. Every month the volunteer meets with the women to see if everything is working smoothly. Adjustments are made in the accounting methods if it appears a women or the group does not understand the process. This allows the association to see how much they are earning each month and what new projects they can afford to start. Once the amount of profits has been collected for a year, the president and treasurer plan to open a bank account in order to deposit the earnings for safe-keeping.

The project “Promoting Human Rights: A Women's Week in Sissili Province”  taught many community members how to actively listen, how to distinguish between the three types of violence, and how to practice family planning.  Continuing the conversation about violence has become one of the main foci for the association APEFF. 

The Youth Development Committee is proud to debut the first annual Youth Outreach Month.

With hot season approaching, March is a great time to get out and work with youth on a broad range of topics. Each week of the March there will be a special theme to help coordinate effort of activities. The committee has also provided additional resources for volunteers to look through and find new ideas or supplementary information. Volunteers should not be afraid to work with all ages of the youth, preschools through lycée students.

Week Themes:

•Living Healthy for a Better Life: March 3rd-9th (Hygiene, HIV/AIDS, Malaria, Puberty, Nutrition, etc.)

•Embracing Your Planet: March 10th-16th (Reforestation, Natural Resources, Food Security)

 •Thinking… Outside the Box: March 17th-23rd (Creativity, Critical Thinking, Problem Solving)

 •Empowerment - You Can Do It!: March 24th-30th (Youth Rights, Doorways Information, Youth Empowerment, Taking it Back)

Hygiene and Diarrhea are a big problem in my community. Diarrhea is the #2 reason for a CSPS consultation after Malaria in my village. I worked with the "Association des Mères Educatrices" (Women Parents association) of my primary school and taught them how to make soap.

The Youth Development Leadership and Active Citizenship Conference is an annual event hosted by the Youth Development Committee. The conference is aimed at youth ages 17 to 25 that are already active community members.

Preschool Learning is the foundation of a child’s formal education. The knowledge, skills and abilities a child develops during his or her preschool years will have a positive impact on their performance while in formal schooling and going forward. By actively promoting a child’s preschool learning, you are boosting his or her confidence and giving them an edge to become lifelong learners in this competitive world. Whatever your teaching method (through language, art, games, crafts, etc.) you will make a difference in a child’s life.

Greetings Peace Corps family,

I am proud to say that fundraising for the 2012 bike has come to an end. This year we raised nearly $6,500. As a member of GAD and the Bike Tour Committee, I would like to thank you for your fundraising efforts and support throughout this process. Attached you will find the final report for the bike tour filled with funny stories, statistics from the tour, and other information you might find interesting. I hope that you enjoy.

The Tippy Tap is a simple device for hand washing with running water. A container of 5 liter with a small hole near the cap is filled with water and tipped with a stick and rope tied trough a hole in the cap. As only the soap is touched with the hands, the device is very hygienic. A gravel bed is used to soak away the water and prevent mosquitos.

This system has already been installed in many schools in Burkina, and it turns out that they can be cheaper and more durable. The construction costs of the Tippy Tap are in the range of 0$ if second hand materials are used, 2-4 US$ if new materials are purchased. More information available at: http://www.akvo.org/wiki/index.php/Tippy_Tap

Click on the pictures to see a larger photo

The Bicycle Grinding Mill Project, funded by the U.S. Ambassador’s Self Help Funds ($2,400), was developed as a practical and energy-saving mechanism for grinding grain into flour and nuts into paste using pedal power.  Ms Brianna London, a Peace Corps Volunteer (2010 – 2012) from the Dôbougou community in the province of Kenedougou, Burkina Faso, helped design and implement this project, in close collaboration with the community. The bicycle mill serves as an alternative to the mortar and pestle, effectively increasing the grinding efficiency while reducing effort and processing time by over 50%.