Working with disabled artisans in Burkina Faso
It can be a constant struggle for people with disabilities to be independent and earn a living. Our team of youth volunteers tell us about working with disabled craftsmen and women in West Africa.
Tigoung Nonma is a co-operative of disabled artisans in Burkina Faso’s capital of Ouagadougou. Formed in 2005, they aim to reduce poverty amongst disabled people by helping them sell their craft products and build strong livelihoods.
As an organisation they face many challenges; a lack of resources and skills, and the fact that it’s difficult for many artisans to find employment because of the stigma associated with having a disability.
Our team of volunteers worked with Tigoung Nonma for 3 months in January 2012. The objectives of our placement were to:
- develop marketing strategies to help the artisans expand their businesse
- help develop fundraising plans
- help the artisans develop new skills
In order to understand the lives of the artisans, we visited them in their workshops to see the conditions in which they worked.
We visited Kalifa Sankara and Leonard Ouedrago – two leather workers. Along with insufficient equipment and a lack of materials, one of the difficulties they face is trying to develop their clientele.