Boulgou: The Association of Women in the Mining Sector of Burkina Faso (AFEMIB) conducted a capacity-building mission on February 25-26, 2026, for two cooperatives in Zabr©, situated in Boulgou province. This initiative aimed to establish community savings through the Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLA) approach, enabling improved access to financial services within these communities.
According to Burkina Information Agency, AFEMIB's mission targeted the Relwend© cooperative in Youga, which focuses on tomato production, and the Tikouma cooperative in Zabr©, which specializes in onion production. The mission's objective was to enhance their financial and organizational capacities to ensure the sustainability of their activities. The AFEMIB team provided support for the effective implementation of VSLAs, including defining operating principles, electing management committees, and adopting internal regulations. Training was offered in regular savings, solidarity lending, financial management, and transparent fund management.
Each cooperative received essential equipment such as secure safes, ledgers, calculators, and management tools. Nab Edouard Kambir©, AFEMIB's program officer, highlighted that the AVEC approach allows members to save regularly and use the funds for internal loans, a strategy proven to mobilize local financial resources. In some instances, cooperatives have accumulated substantial funds, benefiting members significantly.
Mamouna Souga, president of the Relwend© cooperative, expressed satisfaction with the training, anticipating it will strengthen the financial independence of its women members. Similarly, Diaguim Bandaogo, president of the Tikouma cooperative, saw this initiative as a chance to improve members' living conditions substantially.
The activity, funded by the Project to Support the Strengthening of Land and Mine Management (PARGFM), underscores the partners' commitment to providing long-term support to local communities in structuring their economic initiatives. The AVEC approach provides cooperatives with an independent mechanism for financial resource mobilization, contributing to income security, women's empowerment, and local economic development. This program includes ten municipalities: Boudry, Mogt©do, Zabr©, R©o, Bagassi, Poura, Yako, Bouss©, Sabc©, and Korsimoro.