Wend Waoga is a women group from the district of Koudougou in Burkina Faso. Established in 1997, the association is one of the beneficiaries of the SWITCH Africa Green programme through Groupe de Recherche et d’Analyse Appliquées pour le Développement (GRAAD) under the project NEERE which in the local language means clean or pretty.
In 2017 the association which deals with integrated waste management employed 71 people; an overwhelming majority of them being women, in fact with only one man among its ranks. The group aims to improve sanitation while generating better incomes for the women and youth responsible for waste management and collection in Koudougou Commune in Burkina Faso.
By implementing this project, Wend Waoga with GRAAD aimed to promote cleaner and sustainable cities in Burkina Faso, by elaborating and implementing integrated waste management strategies and green business plans.
In 2016, a baseline study implemented by the grantee showed that waste was not sorted in conformity with current recommendations in terms of good practices in waste management. Waste was mixed and thrown everywhere in the city resulting in huge negative consequences which included diseases, land degradation, air, and water pollution, and an increase of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
Wend Waoga was supported through NEERE in getting advice on preparing business plans, plastic waste recycling, and reuse. This reuse resulted in the creation of different handicrafts for sale and which was an extra income stream. The training on waste management also resulted in cleaner cities through participating in cleaning activities; while getting sensitized on good practices in waste management. In July 2017, Wend Waoga joined the SEED West Africa Symposium with other MSMEs and CBOs in Accra, Ghana to share and learn from the good practices in waste recycling and reuse businesses. Additionally, the group attended both the SWITCH Africa Green National Networking Forum held in Ouagadougou in July 2018 and the SWITCH Africa Green Regional Networking Forum held in Ouagadougou in October 2018.
“Soumbala is made from locust beans and we use plastic bags (to pack them) but also use plastic to weave bags for sell in the market,” says Georgette Benao, the chair of Wend Waoga association. “I no longer weave the bags myself; it has become the job of all of these women whom I pay.”
Using toolkits, the association was trained on product innovation, sustainable operation, marketing, and governance during three field monitoring visits conducted by SWITCH Africa Green experts.
Resulting from the support offered, the association contributed significantly to the improvement of the sanitation of Koudougou through collecting and transforming plastic waste. With the other MSMEs and CBOs, the enterprise contributed to clean Koudougou and transfer about 3 200 tons of waste to an identified dumpsite representing a decline of the uncontrolled number of dumpsites by 32%. Wend Waoga helped raise awareness of the community about waste management and green business.
Due to the visibility that the project gained, the leader of Wend Waoga Ms. Georgette Benao received several awards including one in 2017, while also getting nominated as one of the champions on waste recycling and sustainable packaging in Burkina Faso. By starting households solid sorting, Wend Waoga also contributed significantly to reducing GHG emissions.
Annual sales of products from the Wend Waoga increased from USD 1124 in 2014 to about USD 5,617 in 2017, contributed by the increased capacity of waste collection, sales of the new handicraft items, and improved marketing strategy. This result represented an increase of more than 100% in turnover.
This situation also contributed to an increased number of customers/households registered for waste collection from 100 in 2014 to 147 in 2017, representing an increase of almost 50% compared to the beginning of the project. This positive change was attributed to the increased capacity for waste collection fees. In 2014, recovery capacity was estimated at USD 75. After the SWITCH Africa Green intervention in 2017, the amount increased to USD 137 or an increase of almost 85%.
“Our main activities include locust beans and shea butter that we don’t mix with anything,” Ms. Benao adds referring to the bags that are used to package these products. “Anything that we can transform without adding anything, without cutting trees.”
To respond to the new demand, Wend Waoga created 5 new permanent jobs in Koudougou city. Additionally, by implementing the project activities and recommendations, the association gained more visibility in the commune of Koudougou and in the whole of Burkina Faso. As a result of the training on good practices in waste management and small equipment that was provided, the employees were better protected in from occupational and health risks.
With the business plan prepared through the project support, Wend Waoga intends to continue pursuing innovative initiatives in order to grow its part of the market in the country and beyond the borders.
“I ask people to really help save the environment, to really help to save the forests, so that we can benefit from what it can offer us.”
