Big changes in four years

Monday, April 19, 2010

A lot can change and improve in four years. That is equally the case with Ouédraogo Oumoulkoulsoum, a farmer from Burkino Faso. Oumoulkoulsoum (Oumou) is married and has a son. She went to school until the third grade. Read more about her life.

The situation in 2005/2006
Ouédraogo Oumoulkoulsoum’s family grows vegetables and grain. Oumoulkoulsoum works with her other family members in the field. Her husband administers the profits and uses the money for the children’s education, health and body care. Oumoulkoulsoum can use some of the money for herself, if she asks for it and if she has a specific goal.

The situation in 2009
Once in possession of a field for herself, Oumou’s living situation changed considerably. She owns three plots measuring 10 m² each. She grows onions and the profits are hers alone. She obtained this field following her husband’s decision that each member of the family works for his/her own money rather than coming to him each time they need money. ‘Better to give them fields than money’.

Oumou is now into her fourth season (2009/2010). In the first season (2006/2007), she added a little fertilizer. In the second season, she added compost which yielded good results. The quality also improved because the onions could be stored over a longer period of time. She says that she made a profit of 100.000 f cfa (150€) in the season of 2008/2009.

She sells her produce at the local market during the harvest period. It is not possible to negociate price at the local market: all the women come to sell their products and they are just happy to have customers. Each year, ten women from her group are allowed to store their onions in the Departmental Vegetable Producers’ Union (UDPM) shop. This enables them to get a better price, because they can sell the products when the demand high instead of selling just after harvest. Oumou’s group would love to have their own store.

With UDPM’s endorsement, Oumou’s group was able to get a pump on credit in 2007/2008. The credit of 1.500.000 f cfa has already been reimbursed. The women benefit from their membership with the UDPM as they are able to apply for small loans from the rural bank. These loans are used to buy beans or peanuts for processing. They also buy fertilizer. They intend to buy fertilizer with the UDPM this year. The UDPM has bought 5 tonnes of high quality fertilizer on credit, and group members can, through other credit, benefit as well.


Oumou gives some of her money to her parents and uses it to pay for personal care. At the moment, her husband pays for education and healthcare of the children.

The biggest challenge to increasing production is the lack of cultivable land: human pressure is so great that it is impossible to acquire more land.

Oumou’s group consists of 30 women. Oumou is the president since 2007, the year she joined the group. She was elected president after the reorganisation of the group with the goal of increasing literacy amongst women in positions of responsibility. In 2008, she also became assistant secretary for the UDPM. The group has been a member of the UDPM for 10 years. The biggest advantage of being a UDPM member is relatively easy access to credit, according to Oumou.

The women also contribute, their contributions are used as guarantee at the bank, which allows them to obtain credit. There are women that can afford the inputs on their own, however they ask for credit nonetheless because ‘it would be embarassing for those without money’. Oumou is well aware that it is more expensive to ask for credit than to finance herself.

One of the wishes of the group is to specialise in processing, dried vegetables in particular. Oumou discovered this activity on an exchange trip to Bobo.

Oumou’s group participates also in the program ‘from thousands to millions’. A program carried out by Agriterra and IFDC (International center for soil fertility and agricultural development) in West-Africa. Through this program, she has benefitted from trainings in fertilizer utilization and accounting. She says that she would like to record her expenditures and income before the season begins.

Oumou is also one of seven group promoters that supports local groups in the  People’s Participation Program (PPP). This is a program that operates at grassroots levels and has to goal to improve commitment and action amongst the farmers.

In conclusion, Oumou says that she lives much better now than in past years, especially as a result of the fact that she can now operate her own small plot of land.