German Ambassador’s assistant visits MIA/ALMA

Tanja Isidore-Osterried, assistant to the German Ambassador to Burkina Faso, paid a visit to MIA/ALMA in March. She was so impressed by her visit that she returned to spend more time with the 40 young women there.

She took the opportunity to show them how to make bead bracelets, with so many patterns and so many colours! The girls were of course delighted and asked for more lessons. It is a wonderful way of gifting time and energy.

Thank you, Tanja!

Riding lessons for the boys

Every Sunday we have riding lessons. Most of the children chosen to take part have been traumatised by the death of one or both parents, often under violent circumstances. Once a week the riding instructor, exercising great patience, teaches the children to overcome their fears and bravely mount a horse.

Many of the kids find help in the closeness to the animals and in the way the horses respond to them. Our psychologist is always there too.

We are glad we can offer these activities because sport and leisure not only strengthen bonds, they also strengthen the spirit.

Swimming lessons for the girls

Since the Orphanage for Girls was founded, swimming lessons have always featured among sporting activities as well as karate.

Who can swim in a country that has hardly any water? And yet in this country there are many victims of drowning in deep waste-water trenches during the rainy season. Although the rainy season in Burkina Faso lasts only 3 – 4 months, anyone who can swim is able to survive in the event of flooding.

Last year owing to Corona there were no swimming lessons. That is why the girls were even more happy to resume their swimming at weekends.

The swimming instructors take a lot of time with the children, especially the newcomers who have never been to a swimming pool, helping the children to overcome their fear of water.

It is not only about cooling down in this unbearable heat, swimming also helps to combat stress, regain courage and strike a mental balance.

An 11-year-old boy ...

This is the story of an 11-year-old boy born with a congenital malformation (missing anus). The AMPO Handicap Mobile Team was on a trip, repairing and distributing tricycles for people with disabilities and they were approached by a family who reported their son’s medical condition. The call for help was transmitted to the Director of the AMPO Clinic and the Clinic staff immediately got in touch with the family and had the child brought to Ouagadougou.

The parents told that an ostomy had been placed when he was a child but unfortunately there had been no follow-up examination.

On arrival in Ouagadougou the boy was taken to see a surgeon at the CDG Children’s Hospital  and various tests were carried out. The tests showed evidence of bilateral lithiasis and a successful operation was performed at the end of March 2021.

Owing to the distance between Yako and Ouagadougou and to ensure that they kept medical appointments and administered medication correctly, the child and his mother were taken into the AMPO Rehab Centre. After recovery from the first operation, a second operation was scheduled to restore the digestive process. Meanwhile he is on the mend and his family is grateful to the partners of Ampo kits who are entirely responsible for providing medical care and to the Lütz family for financing food and lodging for mother and child.

New microcredits for women

AMPO P.P.FILLES operates a microcredit scheme to help women and girls by offering them financial support for them to start or continue income-generating activities.

Every month the staff of the microcredit section visit the recipients at their workplace to ensure that their efforts are going well and to offer advice on how to improve the profitability of their activities.