We started the day to discuss the Best Practice Exchanges within the different unions. Confederation Syndicale Burkinabe (CSB) - mentioned that they have worked on capital building, meaning they have developed many booklets and leaflets on labour rights to be distributed.
Senegal shared good practices about youth work and gender.
South Africa shared their input of the COSATU International School; they created a leadership conference and invited union representation of people from all over Africa. The conference focused on the SDG; the role of the African Trade Union and unity of Africa; solidarity with the crisis in South America. They are working for the greater good of the working class! Not only for South Africa!
On top of that, COSATU is in a trilateral agreement with Nigeria and Ghana. They also want a French partner but many countries are not able to transport themselves to their conference. Invited unions have to come at their own expense to the meetings. However, minutes of meetings were shared on their website for all attendees and non attendees to read. Out of curiosity, I went to check the online presence of COSATU and they have a ridiculously large Twitter outreach – GO FOLLOW & we can definitely learn from them too!
In the afternoon we left Ouagadougou for Pô. We had ordered a bus for 30 people and as luck would have it, it’s a good thing we were only 15 as we were already jam packed. However, not as bad as the matutus I suffered in with no AC in East Africa. I thought this was actually luxurious! Hehe
The road to Pô is long, harsh and bumpy, but the road network is rather well developed I must say. Then again I have seen the worst of the worst. What I noticed is that they have a lot of donkeys near the road! That is definitely a new thing for me in Africa. AND bicycles like in East Africa; I haven’t seen bicycles that much in the West but here it is. Bicycles and Donkeys….
On the way, we have to stop in multiple villages as our Senegalese comrade is not feeling well. I have to get used to the fact that we are in union spirit and call each other comrades. It sounds very communistic in my ear. The heat in the villages is so unbearable; my hair is feeling hot to the point I wrapped it up and put a pen through.
Slowly I am getting nauseous on the ride. After three and half of hours of driving we arrived in Pô. The town is 10 minutes away from Ghana. We visit the women’s division of the CSB. They greeted us with dancing and chanting lovely songs. They grabbed us to dance with them. Sweat was dripping down my face and we had only been there for 2 minutes. We sat at the table and were welcomed by the local coordinator. It was then the turn for our leader and team to introduce ourselves and start with a Q&A session.
Through the Q&A, we find out that these products are made by the female women in the union. Soumbala - a type of herb, karite butter, honey beer, dolo and kora kora. There is a large amount of solidarity within the female grouped union. They created a fund that enables themselves to provide money in tough times. Vera also opened a discussion on child protection. Many of the women take their children to work, which is dangerous as when they make honey beer and karate butter, it involves labour with hot ovens. Therefore it would be interesting from them to arrange a childcare at the syndicate home. This way someone can keep their children during working hours and they can even take care of other children in the area for a fee. This would help the women, the children and make the union financially more viable. This is the same project I introduced at the tea union last year in Rwanda.
Funny how the ideas that I had put in the Rwanda strategic plan of the tea union can now also be applied to the syndicate here in Burkina Faso.
The women said bye to us by chanting and singing again. We left to go and see the mini self made factories that they use to make the beer and butter. (See pictures and videos)
We entered deep into the villages and I notice the harsh harsh conditions and extreme levels of poverty. It takes me back to when I was working in India. This is rock bottom poor. The children in the village look malnourished and sick. The elderly also don’t really look healthy. We are offered fresh honey beer but I have learned my lesson after catching typhoid and gurardia not to touch. Even though I really wanted to taste honey beer. Since I learned the concept of honey beer in Rwanda, I have been wanting to drink it. Luckily, I knew better!
From the make shift honey beer factory we move to the butter factory. The woman is working hard - the physical labour again is really intense. Sweat is running down her back but she continues like a true soldier that she is. Some of the sweat drips into the butter unfortunately. We took pictures of the village and I am grateful for being privileged and not having to live under such extreme conditions. This is literally bible page 1. There is earth, people and a donkey to work with. The only ones I thought were healthy in the village were the pigs and donkeys roaming around.
The heat is unbearable. I have changed seats to get more air and we set back on the long journey for Ougadougou.
What shocked me the most for West Africa is:
1) the bicycles and the fact that even old women bike around on them.
2) the very hard poverty.
3) the fact that you have to pay toll on a road that isn’t a highway and is the only road available!
Ohhh noo, I wake up and our bus has broken down. I begin to panic but then I hear the engine running again! Oufff…. I just want my bed right now and the day isn’t long finished yet. There is a Mercedes Party at the hotel and we still need to have dinner.
#burkinafaso #microfinance #financialinclusion #aclvb #gcslb #tradeunion #cosatu #ougadougou #southafrica #endpoverty #sdg #labourrights #francinecarron #microfinancemasala
