How to survive covid – support a salary!

What Yennenga has accomplished – has really put us on an exciting journey towards a self-reliant and sustainable society, on the countryside in one of the poorest countries in the world! Lifelong education, holistic care and important infrastructure is put into place. Gradually, the level of local financing was increasing. A year ago, one third of the programme budget came from its own local revenue.

It is a sad paradox that this, the most significant positive result of sustainable development, suddenly was turned into a precarious problem. Why?

Because the Nakamtenga project not only improved people’s lives but attracted a growing number of visitors. They bought local products, they used workshop facilities, they had lunch at the restaurant, they stayed in the guesthouse and used our conference facilities, etc.  When the pandemic brought restrictions and lock-down, village income disappeared.

Therefore, the programme now needs two specific injections to balance the effects of the pandemic:

The first can be labelled “Transformation support” and aims at restarting the various activities, which normally generate our local revenue, which in turn is crucial for maintaining welfare on site. Here we need donors to finance a number of individual salaries of SEK 1 000 per month. During a period of 12 months – until we (reasonably) are back to a corona-free society and back on track with visitors and customers.

The second is a direct payment of salaries to key staff in providing this welfare service to the Nakamtenga community: teachers, health personnel, etc. Depending on profession, these salaries go from SEK 1 000 to 3 000 per month. Of course, we warmly welcome everyone willing to provide a salary also for a longer period than the present vulnerable year.

A salary in Nakamtenga is not just cash on payment day. With it comes a formal national registration, incorporating things like child benefit and support when you have retired (pension). Securing a salary does not only alleviate poverty for the specific person and his or her family, but also supports the countries strive to establish a social security system.  

If you sponsor – today – the salary to a teacher or a nurse or a technician, you provide much more than just money to a specific family (whom you can be personally in touch with).

If you sponsor – today – you support our efforts to overcome precarious problems caused by the pandemic, you contribute to a sustainable change of national and local structures and you will be part of a long term strategy where Burkina Faso can develop without future dependency on foreign aid.

If you feel inspired to join the Yennenga family and have the possibility to help us overcome the symptoms of the pandemic , please contact stina@yennengaprogress.se