By electrifying the production centre, Electriciens sans frontières enables it to expand. In this way, the partner association will be able to increase its production and employ more women.
This project addresses two major local social and ecological problems.
First, the plastic bags used by very large numbers in everyday life are almost identical: they contain 25 to 50 cl of drinking water. Freed of their contents, they litter the city’s streets and fly away in the wind. Waste management is non existent in any form. Waste is often burned in doorways (a polluting habit) or transported outside the city. Each day fly-tipping is on the increase. Fly tips are playgrounds for children and foster the development of diseases.
Secondly, the centre responds the real problem of unemployment and the social vulnerability of a large number of women. Currently the majority of Ouahigouya’s population work in agriculture. Most of the locals have only a small piece of land, which is insufficient to enable the whole family to eat daily. A parallel salaried activity is therefore needed to ensure their daily needs can be met and which are essential to their development, such as healthcare, schooling and transport.
The number of companies in the northern region of Burkina Faso hiring women is very small or practically non-existent. This project represents an opportunity for them.
By electrifying this artisanal recycling centre, Electriciens sans frontières is contributing to:
- the fight against the extreme vulnerability of young single mothers and their children
- improving living conditions and, more specifically, education and health
- the empowerment of women through their induction into the workforce and through training
- the fight against land pollution
- recycling the city’s plastic waste
