Burkina Faso women empowerment and welfare project
Date
2007
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Publisher
Southern New Hampshire University
Abstract
It has been proven that the poor have the desire and motivation to do something to change their situation. They may be short of ideas of how to wiggle themselves out of an uncomfortable situation but they surely have the inner resource when they are gently nodded in the right direction. This was proven in a project that was carried out in Burkina Faso among poor urban women.
The project further revealed that sustainable development cannot be attained without integration. To address the root causes of poverty; gender inequities, HIV/AIDS and the environment should be addressed together. Activities that provide and permit access to basic necessities like education and health should be integrated in the project too.
To assure sustainability of the project CED practitioner should avoid introducing complex technology or financially unattainable practices but should, to the extent possible, use local resources and build on the local knowledge. In this project local resource persons, locally available material - mostly recycled - were utilized. The project drew largely from local knowledge and values will ensure continuity of the activities even after external support has ceased.
Finally, following the principle of subsidiarity the management of the project activities should to the extent feasible be left to the beneficiaries. The targeted women in this project managed the savings and loan project, using the self help group model, to improve their personal businesses. (Author abstract)
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