Working for a NGO in Burkina Faso

I cannot neglect it much longer – the fact that I am here to work!! I have been in Burkina for 8 and half months and it seems that slowly I am able to focus more and more on work. As I have already explained 100 times, I am working for an umbrella organisation RECIF that deals with gender, communication, training, advocacy and research. RECIF is having a real down period unfortunately and the lack of finances is extreme. We are funded by various international organisations such as Terre des homes, Oxfam Quebec, Diakonia, Plan International, the UN and various other large development actors. I am getting more and more involved in the task of fundraising, which seems to take up a lot of time for way too many NGOs. Apart from that I am also involved in a large Human Rights project and a project for mainstreaming HIV/AIDS into both the structures of RECIF itself and among our 54 members out in the districts of Burkina.

Although at times I have felt that I do not progress one bit academically, I am realising that I am learning a great deal about what it entails to work for a local NGO. A lot of the time, we struggle with practical things which elsewhere are taken for granted. We struggle with insufficient, old and damaged computers. We struggle with power cuts and internet cuts on a daily basis. We often do not have paper to print or copy material, and often those very machines do not work. We often cannot call out of the house, as there is no funding for mobile credits. We do however have a landline for connecting to fixed numbers, which is great if you are actually able to catch people in their offices. I could go on and on!!

Obviously these working conditions complicate tasks enormously. At times you feel you struggle to reach results, but in fact you are not moving. The art is to avoid frustration and disappointment and believe me this is not easy. I avoid the ‘alcoholic by the pool syndrome’ (well first of all I do not have a pool) by using my friends, by going out and forgetting all about development and by laughing off problems. There is a lot to cry about, but there is also a lot to laugh about, because Burkina Faso is extremely crazy on so many levels!! You can forget all about your own western logic – there is just no need for that here and it will not help you understand, rather the opposite.

One big lesson that I have discovered is that the NGO world struggles for money. Working for development in Burkina Faso seems to be just another job for yet another person, who seeks to feet his/her family. When you put on the news on telly at night, one development story after the other is projected. Development here is part of everyday life, as much as milk is part of life in Denmark. The problem is that when life becomes a struggle for money, the much needed long term effect and the components of a project itself are often somewhat neglected. But of course!! If you are starving, you think about today. Consequently, there is a huge gap between people’s reality and the theories that we attempt to apply. Yes we already knew this at university, but at the moment I feel it everyday. Often I do not even get through the practical problems of a day such as starting my computer, dealing with water cuts, power cuts, delays and other hazards. In that way, I often do not even reach the level of theory. If something I have learned that working ‘out there’ (I am still in the capital) provides you with a unique understanding of realities for small NGOs and associations. One cannot afford to be too ambitious. After all we are here to advice for a short period. This advisory role proves difficult as well and does not always work in reality. I attempt to be conscious about not actually doing tasks, which local staff members are responsible for. However, I must admit that at times I loose my patience and step out of this role in order to pursue a few practical tasks that keep me more or less sane.
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Nazinga elephant park in Burkina Faso

Demonstrations in Ouaga!!

Demonstrations in Ouaga!!

The recent food price increases have made people mobilize and take to the streets in an outcry of desperation. They rebel against government taxies which allegedly have led to these increases, claim some, while others are convinced that the suppliers themselves increase prices for their own benefit. Whatever the truth might be, it would be good to see the government take some action in either reducing taxies or developing some sort of price regulation. We await the situation. At the moment things are peaceful – at least on the surface.

Thursday the 28th of February, a large crowd people decided to begin demonstrations right outside my house. I was already informed to stay at home and avoid any unnecessary outings. The atmosphere was aggressive and although I know I’m not as such a political target, I feared the vandalism that often comes along as well. At one point the crowd attempted to enter the nearby market; but were stopped by the police. They continued towards the nearest tarred road, burning tyres, breaking windows, burning down lights at junctions, etc. The following day everything was calm once again.