We are thrilled to receive the Charlemagne Karbore at our headquarters here in Stockholm. When I got to know Charlemagne, he was still a young man who was doing his studies. Charlemagne is a good example of someone who worked his way in life. He has learned from the bottom, all levels of an organization’s work.
When listing to his thoughts and visions, I can only point out: Charlemagne is a true Yennenga Networker.
He has a clear vision, he wants to influence his community, he is courageous and works hard. Charlemagne has an overview that makes it clear that he is keen to stay one step ahead and capture the changes in society when they are still fairly easy to control.
Education is a central theme in all his activities: to give people the chance to succeed.
In addition to his full-time job at the Sida office in Ouagadougou, he has since 2006 built up the organization Association des Amis des Elus du Plateau Central (AAEPC). Initially targeted to the elected officials in the new municipalities due to the state decentralization effort, but today the organization has expanded both in terms of geographical area, educational initiatives and target group. The active members consist mostly of teachers and they focus on various important social themes.
The focus is now:
- To continue to provide capacity building for elected officials in the municipalities so that they can best serve society.
- To provide business training for start-ups or existing businesses, focusing on business, government relations, tax, customer care and other practicalities about entrepreneurship.
- To build an educational radio: radio reaches everyone and can provide both important community information and education.
- To build a training and information center with cyber cafe in the countryside, in Charlemagne’s own home region Koulwego in sorghum.
- To give courses in climate change impacts on how and what people can do to adapt to change, such as staggered growing seasons, new crops, etc.
It is with pride and impressing we follow both the development of AAEPCs and Charlemagne as a good role model in society.
