21/07/2021
Moumini is 35 years old and is the young president of the cooperative “Koumare”, which in Bissa language means “the understanding”. Koumare is located in the village of Sampema, in the municipality of Zabré, in Burkina Faso, and to get there the road is difficult, you have to cross the savannah and at some point you almost think that you will never get there. But instead, at the end of the road is the village, where the cooperative works to give hope to young people, exploiting the raw material available: sesame.
Moumini and Koumare’s project, ambitious and particular, is to realize a center for the transformation of sesame into oil, a precious product, very valuable and expensive. For this reason he committed himself and obtained, thanks to the project “Innovative social enterprises and participation of migrants for social inclusion in Burkina Faso” co-financed by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation and Maria Enrica Foundation, a support for the realization of his idea.
Moumini and his colleagues have followed the entire path of incubation and business training provided by the project and have been able to purchase the oil extractor and a motor tricycle for the transport of their products. The cooperative also received special support from the Association of the Burkinabé Diaspora in Italy UABT (Union of Burkina Faso Associations of Treviso), which accompanied them throughout the project, not only with an economic contribution, but also with visits and advice. Its President, Idriss Tarabure, who went to Burkina Faso as part of the project to support Koumare, has been committed for years with his association for his country and in particular for young people and women who are for him the subjects on which to invest for a real development.
Obviously, there have been many challenges, but Moumini and the members of Koumare are slowly facing them all: first the oil extractor ordered from China did not arrive, due to the pandemic; then the price of the tricycle increased and now they are looking for a bigger rented structure to turn into a laboratory; but thanks to the commitment and contribution of all, the future looks bright for this ambitious enterprise. Moumini, in conclusion of our chat, addresses directly to his Italian friends: “First of all, our association would like to thank our partners in Italy for their financial support. As you know, we are in a developing country where the challenges are enormous and the state alone cannot do everything immediately. Added to this are insecurity and pandemic that negatively affect the march towards development. In this context, the presence of friends like you is something to be grateful for and proud of. We dare to believe that we will still and always have your support to market our sesame oil in Italy and around the world. For our part, we assure you that we will do everything possible to deserve the trust you have placed in us”.
Below some photos of Moumini:
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