Hands United for Children

About Burkina Faso “Land of the Upright People”:o    Burkina Faso, formerly Upper Volta, was dominated by the Mossi until the end of 1896, when the French claimed the area. Since its independence in 1960, the country has had 6 presidents and several military coups.o    Its current president, Blaise Compaoré, in place since 1987 and re-elected in 2005 for 5 years, runs a fragile democracy.o    With a GDP per capita of $1,300 (USA: $45,800), Burkina Faso is the 28th poorest country in the World.*o    Its literacy rate is very low and uneven amongst boys and girls (30% boys and 15% girls over 15 are able to read*.)o    Life expectancy is about 50 years old*, leaving 9% of children orphans.**o    Schooling is free but not compulsory, and only about 29% of Burkina’s primary school-age children receive a basic education.o    In Saponé, classe sizes vary from 70 to 120 children. With less kids, a teacher is considered “under employed”!Extreme poverty and poor health conditions make it difficult for children to attend school, even more so for the Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC), which is why HUFC is partnering with Bi-Songo, a local NPO, to bring help to the children of the region of Saponé.Sources:* CIA World Fact Book (2007 and 2008 results)https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/uv.html** United Nations Population DivisionAbout Bi-Songo:Bi-Songo, which means “wise child”, is an NPO which was created in 2000. It is located in Saponé, 1 hour south of the capital city Ouagadougou, and covers 34 villages with a population of 39,000. Bi-Songo’s mission is to help enhance the children’s physical health and cultural knowledge. Its goals are achieved through 5 commissions:o    Children’s Health, Education and Culture.Health: teaching hygiene rules and educating nurses.Education: Sponsoring children’s school fees, school supplies, lunches and bicycles when needed. Bi-Songo’s founder is part of the national’s commission which selects the children whom will receive help. Several visits to the sponsored children and their families allow to the child to fully benefit from the help provided.Culture: Promoting the transfer of cultural knowledge.o    Children’s rights for an equal chance between genders.Educating families to understand the importance of letting girls go to school and distributing even sponsors for children’s education.o    Finances and Credits.Financing women’s economic activities such as producing and selling Shea butter.o    Environment, Agriculture and Breading.

Collecting rocks which will be used to prevent erosion and direct irrigation.

o    How to transform and commercialize local agricultural products.Teaching children and families how to dry fruit to keep them longer (there is no electricity in Saponé.)

Learning to dry mangoes.

For more information, Bi-Songo has a new website (in French): http://www.burkinarc.webou.netAbout the project: “Children of Burkina Faso - Saponé” Hands United for Children (HUFC) is excited to start a new partnership with Bi-Songo. Our goal is to raise $19,000.00:o    For the education of 60 children (30 in elementary and 30 in middle/high school). This includes their tuitions, school supply, and, when needed, a bicycle to cover the long distances separating the homes from the schools.o    For the confection of school backpacks with locally grown cotton. This would benefit the farmers, the people who will thread and weave the cotton, the tailors (girls will be taught how to sew) and the OVCs (Orphans and Vulnerable Children).o    3 years ago, donations of corn flour by a U.S. organization stopped. There is a need still to feed these children during school hours. Our goal is to be able to purchase local food and organize a lunch with a couple of cooks and a place to eat. Children will bring their own plates and parents will be asked to contribute accordingly in order not to create a habit of being assisted.Expenses Details:

Sponsor 60 children    $7,400.00School Backpacks for OVC    $1,600.00 (TBC)Lunches for one year    $10,000.00 (TBC)Total    $19,000.00

Bi-Songo is also currently in need of a computer (electricity will be installed in Sapone in September 2008!) and a digital camera. If you have one you would like to donate,please e-mail us at babacar@handsunitedforchildren.orgTo raise $19,000 we are organizing a series of fun events, starting by:

“An evening of Dine and Music”Saturday, November 15,at Turquoise Coffee, in Pacific Beach.

Donate $50 to sponsor one year of a child’s education in elementary school (including tuition, school supplies and a backpack).

To receive updates on upcoming events, join our mailing list from our home page: http://www.handsunitedforchildren.org.

Join us and make a difference!