International Service; Tigoung Nonma

Just beginning of this March was my pre-departure training for my charity project with International Service. All team members had to attend from all over the UK and meet each other for the first time in York! It was very exciting to meet everyone and also nerve racking for me as I'm quite a shy person. None of us knew our exact placements in Burkina Faso as of yet, so the tension was pretty high at first, in a single room, all 26 of us were in. Where we were then grouped with our official team members on placement and presented with documents explaining more about our project.

I am pleased to announce I will be volunteering in Burkina Faso, in the city of Ouagadougou with our project partner called Tigoung Nonma, a cooperative of physically disabled artisans.  The artisans use natural materials along with a wide variety of recycled products. They work to limit the damage to their environment and thus contribute to the fight against climate change. 

10% of the population who have a physical disability is due to the vast majority of people who contracted Polio disease, which can leave sufferers paralysed in some ways. All disabled people are faced with barriers of employment and equal opportunities such as education, accessibility and discrimination.

Project outcomes:

Our short term aims include:

• Help provide economic independence
• Promote rights of people with a disability
• Increase Tigoung Nonma sales
• Promote their products more locally and online
• Improve and teach English and IT skills

Their Long term outcomes include:

• Their income is increased and structure expanded
• Existing partnerships are nourished and continue to develop
• They become more independent

I hope this unravels some of your 'thousand questions' to what I will be doing out there more specifically. I can't tell you how privileged I am to be chosen on this ICS charity scheme and what it will do to me as a person experiencing change, culture, development and accomplishment. 

I do realise the work will be very hard and challenging and it won't be anything like home, but y'know, this isn't a holiday. These disabled people are among the most vulnerable and marginalised people in the world. They have less access to education, to health, to economy, to a job and to decision making.