What is AMPO?
Burkina Faso, one of the poorest countries in the world, lies in the middle of the Sahel region in West Africa.
More than 25 years ago Katrin Rohde decided to leave her home in Germany and set up a project to help children and young people find new perspectives in their own country.
She named her project AMPO - Association managré nooma pour la protection des orphelins. Managré nooma roughly translates from the local Moré language as:
'The good is never lost'
Around 350 people, mostly children, are taken care of directly in the various AMPO facilities. Then there is a Women's Counselling Centre, Awareness Projects, the Clinic and lots more - every year we also provide financial support for 1500 schoolchildren in need.
AMPO has a staff of 122, all of them African.
Almost all of the directors in the orphanages, counselling centres, organic farming projects and medical facilities are from Burkina Faso or the neighbouring countries. They have their own budget which is regularly co-ordinated with the accounts department and subject to an annual audit on site by a German accountant.
European and African values and mindsets go hand in hand.