Burkina Faso / FONA-DR: Attached seniors are refining or reorienting their projects on the ground

There are good materials to start in their favorite areas or to re-adjust some parts of the project to minimize the failure rate or even in line with the projects they have already started. This is exactly what FONA-DR expected when organizing this field trip with retired and frustrated people affiliated with the agency. The seniors were satisfied with this field trip after the theoretical training they received in the classroom.

Providing the possibility of retraining to retired or depressed people is the work of the public institution FONA-DR. It offers these elderly people the opportunity to remain active until the end of their lives. This is done through financial support (loans) with terms adapted to their situation. But in addition to these financial loans, the training courses are structured so that they can minimize failure or dropout rates.

At the end of the visit, the representative of the FONA-DR affiliate, Mahama Dakro, expressed his satisfaction on behalf of his colleagues, stressing that they are part of a much-loved generation of retirees. “Because a few years ago, retirement was a fear, not to mention going to die, because most people could not prepare for retirement,” he testified, while noting that today, they have the opportunity to reconvert themselves. “It is therefore an opportunity to salute this initiative that allows us to retrain for other professions, giving us a second life,” said the representative.

It is noteworthy that this field trip for senior students of FONA-DR was spent in theoretical classes. The second part was launched so that the beneficiaries could immerse themselves in what is done in the field, but also learn from the sources of certain models and take certain precautions and improve them to minimize the ratio of chess. This was also the inspiration for the re-adjustment of the project.

That’s what happened after visiting three out of five demonstration farms, including those of Mr Zongo in Tengandogo and Ali Sambo in Komsilga, which are multifunctional farms where they carry out a variety of activities, especially market gardening, fish farming, pig farming, chicken and guinea fowl. Mr Zongo and Mr Sambo said they received financial support and training from FONA-DR, without which they would not have been able to start their work. “The future is bright,” they said.

All the participants involved in the organization say that this outing has made it possible to reinforce the theoretical training received by the elderly. Strengthening their theoretical training is also part of the return of Mr. Compaoré, General Manager of FONA-DR. “What we do is promote, it is senior entrepreneurship. We are carrying out a process of retraining and reintegration into the profession, we train them in modules such as poultry farming, beekeeping, IGA (income generating activities),” explains Sibiri Omar Compaoré.

For Karim Porgho, the Minister’s Delegate in charge of social promotion, their department has been working for years through FONA-DR to promote entrepreneurship among older people as a means of developing the country. “Today, we are satisfied to see the results and the impact it has on this category of people,” he testified.

This immersion ended with the satisfaction of the senior students and the organizers, which will allow them to correct or adjust their projects.

Yvette Zongo

Lefaso.net