UNE SUITE DU PROJET EGALITE :
reboisement à Bérégadougou
reboisement à Bérégadougou
par Scholastique Kompaoré
Pour un succès, cela a été vraiment un franc succès à tous les
niveaux : des préparatifs, à la réalisation du reboisement. Avant d’en parler, l’historique de
l’évènement s’impose.
Historique
En 1975, Année Internationale de la Femme. Femmes et Développement, membre du Service Civique International invite le Projet à envoyer une monitrice en France pour un séjour formation auprès d’un certain nombre d’organisations de la place. Une Monitrice de Banfora, Delphine Bélemsigri a été la première à bénéficier de ce placement. En 1978, la Coordonnatrice du projet UNESCO pour la région de Banfora, Mariam Konaté a d’abord participé à un séminaire sous régional organisé à Bohicon au Bénin au cours duquel un reboisement a été réalisé.
Cela a beaucoup intéressé Mariam qui dans les villages, autour
des bâtiments du Projet, s’évertuait à créer ce qu’on appelait alors des
bosquets pour disposer de bois de cuisine et d’abris pour les rencontres des
femmes. Elle a ensuite séjourné en France et visité des réalisations avec
lesquelles elle entretient des collaborations multiples. Elle a ainsi créé
Femmes et Développement Bobo. Le reboisement de Bérégadougou après ceux de
Tarfila, un autre village du projet Haute Volta/UNESCO voisin, et de Manga,
s’inspire de cette expérience auquel ont pris part, deux représentantes de
Femmes et Développement France.
Bérégadougou est très vite devenu dans les années soixante dix un village pilote du projet UNESCO grâce à la village forte implication du chef et des notables. Comme son voisin Tarfila, une bonne partie des terres de ce village ont été affectées à la production de la canne et de l’usine de production d sucre. Les femmes doivent donc faire des kilomètres pour tenter de trouver du bois de chauffe, qui se fait de plus en plus rare, ce qui conduit à des disputes avec d’autres villages lorsqu’on franchit les frontières. Certaines femmes recourent même à la paille.
En 1975, Année Internationale de la Femme. Femmes et Développement, membre du Service Civique International invite le Projet à envoyer une monitrice en France pour un séjour formation auprès d’un certain nombre d’organisations de la place. Une Monitrice de Banfora, Delphine Bélemsigri a été la première à bénéficier de ce placement. En 1978, la Coordonnatrice du projet UNESCO pour la région de Banfora, Mariam Konaté a d’abord participé à un séminaire sous régional organisé à Bohicon au Bénin au cours duquel un reboisement a été réalisé.
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| Mariam Konaté |
Bérégadougou est très vite devenu dans les années soixante dix un village pilote du projet UNESCO grâce à la village forte implication du chef et des notables. Comme son voisin Tarfila, une bonne partie des terres de ce village ont été affectées à la production de la canne et de l’usine de production d sucre. Les femmes doivent donc faire des kilomètres pour tenter de trouver du bois de chauffe, qui se fait de plus en plus rare, ce qui conduit à des disputes avec d’autres villages lorsqu’on franchit les frontières. Certaines femmes recourent même à la paille.
Sita, une monitrice originaire de ce village, affectée depuis la fin du
projet au Ministère de l’Action Sociale et de la Solidarité Nationale n’a
cessé de se battre pour son
développement et s’est beaucoup investi à servir d’intermédiaire et de liaison
entre tous les participants et à rechercher des appuis pour réussir le
reboisement. Membre également de Femmes et Développement Bobo, elle a donc
porté le projet de Bérégadougou à cette association. Informée, Femmes et
Développement France annonce qu’une dizaine de ses membres viendront de France
pour participer au reboisement.
Tout le monde, contacté de vive voix ou par écrit, se montre intéressé: les autorités
coutumières et administratives, plus particulièrement le Ministère de
l’Environnement et du Tourisme, les ressortissants de Bérégadougou résidant à
Ouagadougou et à Bobo, et singulièrement la SOSUCO, l’usine de production du
sucre.
Il est decidé que le reboisement se déroulera en 5 jours au cours
desquels, les soirées seront consacrées à des causeries/débats animées par des
spécialistes sur des thèmes d’intérêt pour les femmes de la région. Les sujets
étaient variés et l’audience, surtout féminine importante tous les soirs. On a
néanmoins déploré le peu d’intérêt marqué par les hommes pour ces sujets. On a
ainsi parlé de :
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Scholastique Kompaoré, Auteur de l'article
|
·
VIH/SIDA et des maladies sexuellement transmissibles ;
·
Lutte contre
l’excision et santé sexuelle et reproduction ;
·
Mobilisation des femmes pour la gestion des affaires
de la commune ;
·
Droits,
devoirs et rôles de la femme dans la société ;
·
Femmes et changements climatiques.
Une troupe théâtrale a présenté une pièce suivie de discussion sur désertification et reboisement.
Le bosquet reboisé.
1150 arbres à l’utilité reconnue dans la la région et même dans le pays, ont ainsi été plantés dont:
300 nérés dont les gousses offrent une poudre très appréciée tel quel
ou frit comme des galettes par les enfants: les graines transformées en condiment très apprécié en Afrique de
l’oest, est une source de revenus très importante pour les femmes;
300 acacias: une décoction de ses feuilles soigne la toux des enfants - les repousses sont rapides et fournissent du bois pour la cuisine;
100 baobabs dont les fruits et les feuilles sont riches en fer: les
bouillies et les sauces aident à lutter contre la malnutrition;
100 moringas est presque indispensable dans les sauces de couscous de
mil: elles sont utilisées également pour traiter les problèmes de tension
artérielle;
200 mélénas
150 caïlcédrats
Ces deux derniers éléments pour le bois de chauffe et de menuiserie.
Une solidarité agissante.
Les plants ont été offerts par la direction Régionale de l’Environnement et par la SOSUCO comme précédemment annoncé. Des représentants de 5 villages environnants ont participé au reboisement.
Une solidarité agissante.
Les plants ont été offerts par la direction Régionale de l’Environnement et par la SOSUCO comme précédemment annoncé. Des représentants de 5 villages environnants ont participé au reboisement.
De la musique de balafons a rythmé le travail. Le déjeuner, préparé par
les femmes a été offert sur place aux participants. Les cotisations des
bénéficiaires, de leurs amies de Femmes et Développement de Bobo et de France
et la contribution des ressortissants de Bérégadougou résidant hors du village
ont financé les activités.
Leçons tirées de l’expérience.
A l’évaluation, on a estimé que la participation n’a pas été aussi importante qu’espérée car la période choisie correspondait à un moment où les femmes étaient très occupées dans les champs. Il a donc été décidé de placer le reboisement restant à une date plus appropriée. On a aussi recommandé que les amis ne décident pas à la place des principaux intéressés de ce qui est bon ou leur est nécessaire.
Please click the Read More below for the English translation of this post.
Leçons tirées de l’expérience.
A l’évaluation, on a estimé que la participation n’a pas été aussi importante qu’espérée car la période choisie correspondait à un moment où les femmes étaient très occupées dans les champs. Il a donc été décidé de placer le reboisement restant à une date plus appropriée. On a aussi recommandé que les amis ne décident pas à la place des principaux intéressés de ce qui est bon ou leur est nécessaire.
Please click the Read More below for the English translation of this post.
Equal Access of Women and Girls to Education Project: Reforestation in Bérégadougou
by Scholastique Kompaoré
The Project was really a success on two levels: the preparation and the implementation of reforestation. Before reporting on the project itself, it is necessary to give a bit of history behind the reforestation in Bérégadougou.
History
In 1975, International Women's Year, Women and Development, a member of the International Civic Service, invited the Upper Volta/UNESCO Project to send a fieldworker to France to spend a period of time training with a number of organizations based in France. Delphine Bélemsigri of the Banfora region was the first to benefit from this initiative. In 1978, Mariam Konate, the UNESCO Project Coordinator for the Banfora region, attended a sub-regional seminar in Bohicon in Benin; a region in which reforestation was realized. There was a lot that at the seminar that was of interest to Mariam; around the buildings in the Project in Banfora, Mariam strove to create groves that would provide wood for cooking and shelters for gatherings of women. After the seminar, Mariam then spent some time in France, visiting successful projects of organizations with which she maintains multiple connections. From there, Mariam went on to create Women and Development Bobo. The reforestation of Bérégadougou was inspired by the reforestation experience in Tarfila, a neighboring village in Upper Volta, and that of Manga to the south. The project in Bérégadougou was visited by two representatives of Women and Development France.
In the seventies, Bérégadougou became a pilot village of the UNESCO Project - thanks to the strong involvement of the village chief and its elders. Like its neighbor Tarfila, a large portion of the village's land were being used for the production of sugarcane. Sugarcane production meant that in order to find firewood, women had to walk kilometers. As firewood was becoming more and more scarce in the seventies, disputes with other villages over this resource were not uncommon. Scarcity of wood also meant some women even had to use straw for cooking.
Sita, a fieldworker from Bérégadougou, who was later appointed to the post of Minister of Social Action and National Solidarity, continuously fought for the village's development and invested herself heavily. She served as the intermediary and as a key liaison between all participants of the project. Sita worked to seek out the support that would help to make the reforestation in Bérégadougou a success. Also a member of Women and Development Bobo, Sita was responsible for bringing the draft of the project in Bérégadougou to the attention of that association. Informed about the project, Women and Development France announced that ten of its members would come from France to participate in the reforestation initiative.
Everyone contacted either in person or in writing was interested; the traditional and administrative authorities (in particular the Ministry of Environment and Tourism), those from Bérégadougou residing in Ouagadougou and in Bobo, and the SOSUCO sugar production plant.
It was decided that the replanting would take place across five days. The evening hours of these fives days were devoted to expert-led lectures and discussions on topics that were of interest to women in the region. The subjects were varied and the audience almost always consisted of only women. The lack of interest shown by the men was deplored by those involved in the project.
Topics presented included:
- HIV/AIDS and other STDs
- The fight against female circumcision
- Sexual health and reproduction
- Mobilization of women into management positions in the area of Municipal Affairs
- The rights, duties, and roles of women in society
- Women and climate change
A theatrical group presented a play about desertification and reforestation. The performance was followed up with discussion on the two related topics.
The Grove Replanted
1150 trees, recognized for their utility both in the region and the country as a whole, were planted. These included:
- 300 African Locust Bean trees that provided a powder popular in the region. This powder was sought after both in its original form and as a key ingredient with which local children fry into patties. The seeds of this tree's fruit can be turned into a condiment that is popular in West African cuisine. Selling these seeds also provides an important source of income for the women.
-300 Acacias
A brew made from the leaves of the Acacia tree is used to treat the coughs of children. Acacia trees regrow quickly and provide wood for cooking.
-100 Baobab trees
The fruit and leaves of these trees are rich in iron. Porridges and sauces made from the fruit and leaves are used to help fight malnutrition.
-100 Moringa trees
These trees provide ingredients indispensable in the making of sauces eaten with millet couscous. The seeds of these trees are used to treat high blood pressure.
-200 Melena trees and 150 caïlcédrats
These types of trees are used primarily for firewood
Active Solidarity
The plants were provided by the Regional Environmental Management and by SOSUCO - mentioned earlier in this report. Representatives from five of the surrounding villages participated in this reforestation project. Balafon music was played during the replanting and lunch, prepared by the women, was offered to on-site participants. The contributions of the benefactors - friends of Women and Development Bobo and France, and the contributions from nationals residing outside of the village- funded the activities.
Lessons Learned
During the evaluation period, it was decided that female participation was not as significant as expected because the replanting period corresponded with the time when women were occupied in the fields. It was therefore decided that the remaining reforestation should be moved to a more appropriate date. It was also recommended that those stakeholders chiefly affected by the success of the project in the longterm should be the ones to make the decisions concerning the project's set-up and implementation.
In the seventies, Bérégadougou became a pilot village of the UNESCO Project - thanks to the strong involvement of the village chief and its elders. Like its neighbor Tarfila, a large portion of the village's land were being used for the production of sugarcane. Sugarcane production meant that in order to find firewood, women had to walk kilometers. As firewood was becoming more and more scarce in the seventies, disputes with other villages over this resource were not uncommon. Scarcity of wood also meant some women even had to use straw for cooking.
Sita, a fieldworker from Bérégadougou, who was later appointed to the post of Minister of Social Action and National Solidarity, continuously fought for the village's development and invested herself heavily. She served as the intermediary and as a key liaison between all participants of the project. Sita worked to seek out the support that would help to make the reforestation in Bérégadougou a success. Also a member of Women and Development Bobo, Sita was responsible for bringing the draft of the project in Bérégadougou to the attention of that association. Informed about the project, Women and Development France announced that ten of its members would come from France to participate in the reforestation initiative.
Everyone contacted either in person or in writing was interested; the traditional and administrative authorities (in particular the Ministry of Environment and Tourism), those from Bérégadougou residing in Ouagadougou and in Bobo, and the SOSUCO sugar production plant.
It was decided that the replanting would take place across five days. The evening hours of these fives days were devoted to expert-led lectures and discussions on topics that were of interest to women in the region. The subjects were varied and the audience almost always consisted of only women. The lack of interest shown by the men was deplored by those involved in the project.
Topics presented included:
- HIV/AIDS and other STDs
- The fight against female circumcision
- Sexual health and reproduction
- Mobilization of women into management positions in the area of Municipal Affairs
- The rights, duties, and roles of women in society
- Women and climate change
A theatrical group presented a play about desertification and reforestation. The performance was followed up with discussion on the two related topics.
The Grove Replanted
1150 trees, recognized for their utility both in the region and the country as a whole, were planted. These included:
- 300 African Locust Bean trees that provided a powder popular in the region. This powder was sought after both in its original form and as a key ingredient with which local children fry into patties. The seeds of this tree's fruit can be turned into a condiment that is popular in West African cuisine. Selling these seeds also provides an important source of income for the women.
-300 Acacias
A brew made from the leaves of the Acacia tree is used to treat the coughs of children. Acacia trees regrow quickly and provide wood for cooking.
-100 Baobab trees
The fruit and leaves of these trees are rich in iron. Porridges and sauces made from the fruit and leaves are used to help fight malnutrition.
-100 Moringa trees
These trees provide ingredients indispensable in the making of sauces eaten with millet couscous. The seeds of these trees are used to treat high blood pressure.
-200 Melena trees and 150 caïlcédrats
These types of trees are used primarily for firewood
Active Solidarity
The plants were provided by the Regional Environmental Management and by SOSUCO - mentioned earlier in this report. Representatives from five of the surrounding villages participated in this reforestation project. Balafon music was played during the replanting and lunch, prepared by the women, was offered to on-site participants. The contributions of the benefactors - friends of Women and Development Bobo and France, and the contributions from nationals residing outside of the village- funded the activities.
Lessons Learned
During the evaluation period, it was decided that female participation was not as significant as expected because the replanting period corresponded with the time when women were occupied in the fields. It was therefore decided that the remaining reforestation should be moved to a more appropriate date. It was also recommended that those stakeholders chiefly affected by the success of the project in the longterm should be the ones to make the decisions concerning the project's set-up and implementation.
