Burkina Faso which means “Land of the upright people” is one of the french speaking countries in West Africa and shares borders with Mali, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Benin and Niger. It is completely landlocked and relies on subsistance farming as the main way of feeding its population. Right now the north is severely affected by drought and failing crops like several other countries in the Sahel zone.

The CIAO is a ten day event that excels in bringing all African arts and crafts together. It is scheduled to happen again this year from 26th October to 4th November. Insha’Allah.

If anyone would like more details Ursula can be contacted from her page on the website: www.studiopottery.co.uk/profile/Ursula/Waechter 

The lower picture that shows some of the women on the day that they signed their name to be part of this Micro Finance project. So far one group – about 12 women – has taken out and repaid their loan; they produced shea butter.

At the moment two further groups have taken out loans to grow vegetables and raise life stock.

In October Ursula Waechter will be visiting Burkina and Yilou village to see how things are going.  I am sure that if anyone wanted to contact her there may be some help that could be offered which could be useful to the villages?