Session 2019 – village debout

Village Debout family is complete yet again, for the next two months, in Bobo-Dioulasso Burkina Faso. Intense period, full of encounters, activities, new projects, and many surprises, most of them good,and then some..

Kouroudia’s welcome committee came to greet us, the next day of our arrival

The next day, we inaugurate our brand new bar, « Chez Mabel », place where we can talk about our projects, which is also a restaurant and a bar. It is the informal head-quarters of Village Debout.

Today’s surprise is the arrival of the VD team on a 1956 Massey Ferguson tractor that still perform admirably. It will be let to local farmers for a lesser price, to support their activities.

During the inauguration party, many blessings are offered

Some days later, we are going to Dafra, very important spiritual place near Bobo.

Some days later, we are going to « Chez Mabel » to deliver two fridges, in order to offer the coldest beer around and attract more customers. All profits are used to finance villages loans… This is a great incentive for everyone: a common goal that make sense… Implementing autonomy!

The firs fresh drinks!, under the winter temperature of 37 degres C…

Annual meeting with the Kouroudia association, uniting the Ouolokoto village. The shop is working fine, and substantial profits are made. The way to finance future public services is clear!

A great event, with the full VD team gathered for this blessed day of the first general assembly of VD, set to create formally our association in Burkina Faso. Awesome!

Started 10 days ago, a crowdfunding was launched to finance a bike that can go everywhere.. very important to reach our village partners, accessible with onlychallenging dirt tracks. A million thanks to all those who contributed. OUr local treasures will be soon be shipped over to each of you! This was our first request for donation, since all our funds have been invested in village profitable activities loans.

In our farm, to harvest red and white sorgho, gathered and brought up the hangar for drying.

Then a meal all together after the effort

This session is reaching its end, last orders are made. Our head taylor is hurrying to finish a last minute order, beach bags and a few taylored clothes. (you get to choose your own fabric and shape… for a very good quality and cheap price…)

Wild honey, shea butter from our first village partner « Toukoro », which association is Bendia, hence the product line name.

And our famous, with no equal, cashew nuts

A professional djembe, made by a luthier who provides the best musicians in Burkina

In the last days, a meetings is organized with the Kouroudia association. It seems the construction of a college is on the table!

Indeed, a hundred teenaged students must go to a college in Bobo-Dioulasso, 20 km away, with no possibility to come back home at night, only the weekends. Food and sleep are not granted, far from it, and it jeopardizes their studies. The fees are outrageously expensive for their parents, hence the conversation between Kouroudia and VD. Whenever the building comes to existence, then the government will take over and pay for all the required positions, teachers and staff alike. We are working on an application to obtain a donation from the « 1% fund for development ». VD doesn’t have this kind of means yet!

The inhabitants and their teenagers have already started to make bricks for the buildings, and a land is being identified. As usual, « Kouroudians » are ahead of everything!

No to be left behind, VD submitted the file to the « 1% fund for development » the very next day in order to co-finance the project. (App. one third will be provided by VD)

We are ready and determined. Our bond is vivid, and holds many promises.

What an immense gratitude, shared among all of us. It’s a kind of magic.

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