Burkina Faso

Association WOUOL

(Interview by Kate Sebag, 2008)

WOUOL is a development association of 2000 rural members of which 70% are women. Many of their farmer members cultivate mango trees. WOUOL purchases thousands of tonnes of fresh fruits from the farmers and dries them in their drying stations. The vast majority of people working in the drying stations are women.

Other than mangoes, WOUOL farmers also produce large quantities of cashew nuts which WOUOL shell, dry and grade for export as well. Again it is mainly women who benefit from this paid employment.

Mademoiselle Hetie Fatimata Roseline has worked at the cashew plant for 2 years. She says: "It's great because it is year round work even though the harvest is March to May, the cashews can be stored for 12 months. Before she sold furniture but she earns more here so it is good."

Being only 15km away from Banfora Railway station, WOUOL is able to send containers for export to Lome Port in Ivory Coast by rail.

WOUOL are committed to diversifying what they produce. In addition to mango, their farmer members cultivate: Maize, Fonio, Cassava, Pineapple, Jatropha, Figs, Lemons, Limes, Papaya, Guava, Moringa, Citronella and Palms. Women members are also experimenting with making little caramel bars with cashew and sugar for local sale. WOUOL also make cashew butter.

Mango brings three fold benefit to the members of WOUOL. The farmers gain, the women gain, and then there is the Fairtrade social premium too which benefits the whole community. The social premium is a requirement of Fairtrade which is paid over and above the Fairtrade price for product. Members vote on its useage at the annual assembly. Over the years, WOUOL has spent the premium in the following ways: A canteen for employees, loans for bicycles for the women so they can arrive on time for work, loans for gas cookers at home for the women. WOUOL also built a cereal bank with funds from the premium. They buy local rice and maize when it is cheap and then it is sold on at higher prices when the price has gone up. WOUOL have also installed 2 extra bore holes in the villages and have contributed funds to the health centre.

The premium has also been used to pay for teachers and materials in adult literacy classes. These are open to everyone and are free. They run every day from January to March. Students can also learn French there.

Madame Alimata, a veteran of mango drying has this to say about the premium: "The premium brings more to the women and to the producers, for the whole chain, so we are very happy with it. In future years, we would like to continue to share with the women through financing the canteen so women can eat well here and relax properly for a half hour. It is also good that the premium comes in Sept/Oct as this coincides with the education term starting and the demands of school fees." She concludes: "I want to thankyou for coming here to meet us. It is very good to receive the premium, we know it comes from UK but we wonder who gives it to us. Today we are happy to meet you. Send goodwill to those over there and sincere thanks to all of them and from our families."

The guaranteed wages that Mango Drying and Cashew Processing brings to the women is underlined by Mademoiselle Sanuisso Asetou. She is 23years old and has worked at WOUOL for 3 years. In the off season when there is no mango work, she does petty trading making little cakes and selling them in the market. But she says: "It is much better paid at WOUOL because it's assured income. I would like to always work here. My two sisters also work here."