For more than 25 years now, Salute e Sviluppo has been intervening in developing countries to bring benefits to the local population through implementation and sustainable development projects. The areas of intervention are varied: from health – in the footsteps of St. Camillus de Lellis – to education or agribusiness development.

In this 2023, SeS has decided to inaugurate a new challenge in Burkina Faso: the project “Cultivating Value: good practices and innovative methods for inclusive and sustainable agro-livestock production” is financed by the Italian Agency for Cooperation and Development (AICS) and sees Salute e Sviluppo once again committed to the front line of improving the food conditions of the Burkinabé population.

Interventions will focus in the rural area of Bagré, in the central eastern part of the country. Here poverty is endemic and most of the population lives in conditions of malnutrition and precariousness. For several years, moreover, terrorism has been worsening in the country, which has caused no small amount of pain to the locals, who are forced to live in fear. The Bagré area itself is currently not considered safe, and project coordination activities can only be carried out from the capital city of Ouagadougou.

Despite the difficult conditions, Salute e Sviluppo has decided to inaugurate this new project with the primary goal of implementing existing structures and diversifying food production in the area. During these 36 months there will be many interventions aimed at modernizing the agricultural and livestock techniques used, which still appear traditional and not efficient enough. The creation of new jobs will give even more locals the opportunity to earn a salary and improve the conditions of their families. It is hoped in this way to discourage emigration and root a solid and lasting business to the area.

The project also has a special focus on women: it is intended to impart all the necessary skills to them so that they have the opportunity to implement the ability to self-produce food at the family level, thanks to products derived from horticulture and forest resources.

For this project, Salute e Sviluppo has the opportunity to work in synergy with many valuable partners: from the NGO Santé et Promotion Humaine (SAPHE), to the Department of Agricultural, Food, Environmental and Forestry Science and Technology (DAGRI) of the University of Florence and the NGO AES-CCC. Many local stakeholders were also involved: Bagrépole, Women’s Associations in the region, and Municipal-level Government Departments in the sector.

Despite the difficulties, Salute e Svilupppo’s intervention will surely be of real help to the local population, who can hope for an improvement in their living conditions.

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