Improving the food-supply, economic and social development of Burkina Faso, one of the poorest countries in the world: this is the goal of a project which was begun recently by the NGO ‘Health and Development’ which for more than ten years has been at the side of missionaries of the Order of the Camillians in their activities throughout the world.

The plan was presented during the course of a press conference by which the Camillians informed journalists about the figure of Sr. Candida Bellotti, the oldest woman religious in the world.

It was the president of ‘Health and Development’, Father Efisio Locci, who described the conditions as they now exist of the area where the project will be implemented, namely  Tenkodogò, a new African diocese that has been entrusted to the Camillian bishop, Msgr. Prosper Kontiebo. Three initiatives will take place in this area: the first will be the building of a factory for the cleaning and packaging of rice and the local training of staff for its sale and distribution; the second will be the creation of a working unit for the cultivation of rice and the establishment of an agricultural cooperative; and the third and last will be based on the building of a nursery, a primary school and a secondary school.

The rice factory, which is already in production, will be able to produce a ton of paddy rice an hour (which will then be transformed into rice that can be eaten). This is an important achievement for an area where at the present time the rice that is imported amounts to 65% of the total and the rice that is produced amounts to only 35%.

The development plan for the area of Tenkodogò is only one of the programmes implemented by ‘Health and Development in the field of international cooperation to improve the health-care conditions of the populations of the South of the world and to contribute to local autonomy. Amongst the activities that have been set in motion there is the building of hospitals, schools and aqueducts and more in general works for economic growth, such as agricultural and livestock farms for the production of food.

Look here at the programme broadcast on Tg2 about the project of ‘Health and Development’ (27.30 minutes)

Look here at the press information