The Impact
We empower them and their successes empower us. You are helping us make a lasting difference in the lives of the poor families in Africa. Over the last 10 years, we have seen great success in our projects with our donors’ investments in FNTE, which we do not take for granted.
Family members and communities benefit long after our initial investments. Two years after receiving our care package, families are growing enough food to feed themselves and to sell a surplus in order to send their first child to school. After five years, the bulls have fully matured and can be sold for their meat and hide at double their purchase price. Through our pay-it-forward strategy, the first recipient is able to grant the same set of bulls toward another family in addition to supporting their children’s education. Some go beyond to acquire scooters. Motorbikes are very valuable in rural villages and are often used as emergency transport vehicles to take the sick to the hospital in the capital city. As the five-year cycle continues, more and more families benefit and more children are receiving an education.
IMPACT: Watch recipients share their success stories.
More than 279 families (of more than 12 members each) have received a care package consisting of 2 bulls, a plow, a yoke, a bag of rice and, most importantly, our agricultural and financial training.
Now, more than 800 children from those families attend school for the first time in the history of their families.
Over 120,000 people now have access to clean water every day from 15 clean water wells we have drilled in rural villages throughout Burkina Faso. Village women no longer have to walk for miles for water. Unclean water, diseases, yellow fever, and malaria are out and health is kicking in. Children now have the potential of living long enough to go to school. These results speak for themselves and empower us at FNTE.
In addition, our women microloan program made it possible that 1,090 women are now handcrafted business owners supporting their children education and paying-it forward in their respective communities.
Our school, International School Barkwende, is located in Komsilga toward the center of the country. In October 2017, we opened our junior high school, and we are continuing to expand our campus to host a high school. Poor children from rural villages will now have the opportunity to attend middle and high school and therefore make it to the university.
We have seen great fruit from our projects. There is no way for us to fully quantify the hope we see growing in the hearts of the people we serve, but we can confidently say that our programs are sustainable and work successfully. In villages with clean water wells, we are receiving reports that disease and death rates are declining. Recipients of our care packages are farming their neighbors’ fields so they can yield larger crops. What takes 3 days of manual labor to hand till takes only hours to plow with 2 bulls and a plow. Those who are able to afford motorbikes are serving their communities with emergency services and transporting the sick to the hospital in the capital city. Children are enrolled in school and are dreaming of becoming medical doctors, nurses, ministers, mayors, software engineers and some want to be like Mr. Koala when they grow up. Women who have received our microloans are thriving as small business owners.
Our work has nothing to do with short-run fixes; everything we do is to make a significant and lasting difference. Local governments are supportive of our work and appreciate the difference we have made in their communities. We have a waiting list for families who want to receive our care packages and microloans. Although we are currently serving in Burkina Faso, we dream about expanding into neighboring countries in the future.
Stories of Change
Abel Moussa (38)
“I am a farmer with 13 people including a widow and her 2 kids left behind by my brother who passed away in 2007. Honestly, we have never had enough to eat. I used to eat every other day so the kids could have a meal per day. Now we all eat every day and 3 of my kids including the youngest orphan are attending the elementary school here in the village, thanks to FNTE. The basic training class changed my thinking. By next year I’m going to buy a scooter. Hee! Alfred, you changed my life and I don’t know how much to thank you and your friends for your generosity.”
Elizabeth Koala (42)
“My husband and I have 5 children and my aunt’s daughter also lives with us. Things changed for good since we got FNTE Care Package. It feels good to know our kids will no longer starve as we did. I remember when Alfred was disowned by his dad and wasn’t going to school. He did not give up and I tell my kids never to give up. I am amazed and glad he didn’t forget people like me. Thanks brother! Four of our kids are in school now and the youngest (age 5) wants to be like Alfred when she goes up. I didn’t get a chance to go to school but I am so grateful to FNTE for giving us the opportunity to send our kids to school. God bless you!”
Josue Kouraogo (45)
“I don’t know where to start. Even if I died today, I know my wife, children and sister’s family will never starve, thanks to FNTE. With the care package we received, we have been able to make enough food to eat and a ton of surplus to sell. We have kids in school now and plan to send my sister’s daughter to school next year. Please tell Alfred and his friends thank you from us. You have no idea how much I love seeing my little ones going to school with food in their tummies. God bless you!”
Pastor Daniel (61)
“Hearts like Alfred’s move mountains and I think the mountains of poverty, famine, diseases, you name it, are being moved away by such love. People usually say things and don’t do it, but Alfred does what he says. Also, I have to say it; I didn’t know his idea was going to make such a big difference. Believe it or not, we are 10 times better today than we have ever been in my entire life. Hope is made real to people and I am thrilled to watch Muslims, Christians and non-religious people of all walks of like coming together to learn and better their communities. This was not happening before. So we pray God to bless and expand his vision of helping people help themselves.”