Watford, England--The Adventist Development and Relief Agency
(ADRA) office in the United Kingdom recently signed a contract with the European Commission (EuropeAid) to implement a new development project in the West African country of Burkina Faso. The project, worth nearly $1.3 million, will help reduce poverty and improve livelihoods in one of the poorest areas of the country. It is the largest single development grant assigned to ADRA United Kingdom to date. The EuropeAid grant will fund 75 percent of the project, while ADRA is funding the remaining 25 percent.

The project will commence in June 2007, and is designed to reinforce the capacities of twelve villages in the province of Bazèga. In order to reduce poverty, it aims to effectively manage and enhance their natural and water resources. The project, implemented in cooperation with ADRA Burkina Faso, will improve the availability and access to water resources and improve the management of them.

The project's main activities include the strengthening or installation of water management committees, deepening of 30 wells, repair of 15 bore-holes, construction of nine new wells, construction of two new bore-holes, and construction of three dams.

The project will also train local communities in improved management of natural resources, and empower them to carry out key environmental restoration and protection actions. ADRA will instruct farmers in organic compost production ("nature assisted
regeneration") and help install over 500 composting pits. In addition, ADRA is planning to install 12 nurseries with 41,500 plants for reforestation and train 360 women in the production of fuel-efficient wood-burning stoves.

While all residents of each community will benefit from improved water and natural resource management, the main beneficiaries will be women, who bear many of the burdens associated with natural resource management. Improved access to drinking water, water for animals, and reduced use of wood for cooking through fuel efficient stoves will give women more time for income generating activities, to meet the needs of family members, or for their own welfare and leisure. An additional social benefit will be to release young girls from the daily duties of water collection and house chores, permitting them to attend school.

ADRA is present in 125 countries, providing community development and emergency management without regard to political or religious association, age, gender, or ethnicity.