Update to the Global Board
May 2013
THP-Burkina started its second half of the year 2012 by hosting the Africa Conference, which welcomed staff from all eight African Program Countries as well as the Global Office and THP-Netherlands, for a total of 33 participants. The staff present from each country included the Country Director, the National Program Officer, the Finance Officer and the three Partnership Building and Resource Mobilization Officers (PBRMOs). This conference marked the launch of several strategic changes for the department, including the identification of priority epicenters. The event was followed by a busy six months of program activities, with an emphasis on health and nutrition and food security.
Accomplishments
- Health and Nutrition. Medical consultations were organized in Yegueresso, Kouy, Bissiga and Fetombaga Epicenters. These consultations were held in collaboration with health institutions from a variety of nearby centers. Doctors provided preventive care, such as blood pressure testing, and drew large numbers of patients hoping to take advantage of this free service.
- Food Security. Several trainings on the use of new technologies, namely bio-digesters and the use of organic manure, took place. These are both waste-management techniques as well as renewable energy sources. The bio-digester is created through the construction of a manure pit for animal excrement, with connecting pits. This innovative technology provides energy for electricity, cooking fuel and organic fertilizer. Bio-digesting also promotes increased agricultural production thanks to the animal excrement fermentation, which results in a better organic fertilizer rather than ordinary manure and agro-industrial products. It provides a new, sustainable energy source for households that use oil or wood for cooking and lighting, decreasing energy costs and the time burden on women and children to gather fuel. Lastly, this alternative energy source pollutes less than traditional fuels, providing a better family life environment inside the household. The production of organic manure began in the fourth quarter of 2012.
May 25, 2013
