Since September 2019, AVN has been running the Burkina Faso / Mali project "Émancipation of cross-frontier communities at risk of destabilisation", financed by the PATRIP Foundation and coordinated by the NGO Welt Hunger Hilfe (WHH). The project aims to help stabilise the cross-frontier region between Mali and Burkina Faso by contributing to the well-being of the local population through creation of youth employment opportunities and the rapid construction of community infrastructure. Specifically, the project involves, over two years, the construction 60 NV buildings and the training of 120 young Maliens and Burkinabes as NV masons in 10 frontier communes.

At the half-way point, a workshop presided over by Sahabani Zeba, High Commissioner of Banwa Province brought together the project partners, local politicians and beneficiaries from the 10 communes, was held on October 27th last in Dédougou.

AVN was able to present encouraging results from this first season, despite some construction delays caused by the rainy season and various security and health issues:

• 27 community buildings completed, including health centres, school rooms, storage barns, community buildings for women and youngsters, guest rooms etc.;
• employment of over 100 local youth undergoing NV training;
• the certification of 10 NV head masons who have created their own construction businesses;
• the running of around 50 training modules, on-site and in workshops.

Participants in the meeting welcomed these results enthusiastically and praised the many impacts of the project – social cohesion, economic development, improved access to basic services etc. - reinforcing the capacity of of these frontier populations faced with a disturbing security situation. A strong appeal for continuation of the project beyond 2021 was made by all present.

Burkina Faso, like other African countries, faces severe youth unemployment and under-employment. To confront this challenge, from 2014 the Burkinabe government initiated the Projet Emplois des Jeunes et Développement des Compétences (PEJDC), financed by the International Development Association (part of the World Bank Group) aimed at improving employability through three main modules :

• access to temporary employment through high labour intensity projects;
• skills development through professional and entrepreneurship training;
• institutional support.

In the context of the second module, AVN signed an agreement with the Ministère de la Jeunesse et de la Promotion Entrepreneuriale des Jeunes for the implementation of a component entitled « Formation duale portée par des Organisations Civiles de Base (OCB) pour un habitat adapté dans 3 communes au Burkina Faso » (joint training with civil society organisations - CSO’s - for adapted housing in three communes) between September and December 2019.

In order to involve local actors in the implementation of the programme, AVN led three awareness raising and information sessions for local councils and CSO’s in the three communes. Two CSO’s have been identified for operational follow-up activities and for initiation into the AVN’s territorial methodology: Entraide familiale in Siby and the Association pour la Promotion du Genre et de l’épanouissement de la Femme (APGEF) in Séréna. with their help, 18 trainees have been selected and three trainer masons mobilised.

In the first instance, 3 training worksites have been implemented in each commune (Boromo, Oury, Siby), each employing 6 masons (3 apprentices and 3 Trainer Masons), allowing at the same time for on-site apprentice training and houses for the Trainer Masons, the 9 NV houses built also acting as « show houses » of interest to potential future clients.

To reinforce the on-site technical training, classroom-based training based on the NV Mason’s Manual was organised for all the trainees. The Trainer Masons also benefited from a module on On-Site Training Practice.

Once the buildings were completed, the head masons were able to canvass for their own clients through construction incentives, leading 24 more NV houses being built, each worksite allowing for the apprentices to further develop their skills.

Results and impacts of the project:

• 33 buildings completed, 24 with incentives and 9 via the training sites
• 18 trainees involved and continuing their NV training
• 24 artisan masons with improved skill levels
• several potential apprentices interested in being trained as NV masons
• a raised level of demand: several potential clients have contacted NV masons, hoping to benefit from the NV construction incentive programme
• local institutional actors now aware of adapted housing issues: youth employment, environmental protection, prevention of deforestation, climate attenuation and adaptation etc.