Ouagadougou: The Delwende association of women in solidarity in Siltouko closed its annual community savings fund on Sunday with a record amount of 6,168,750 CFA francs. The ceremony was attended by several local authorities, including the Provincial Director in charge of Humanitarian Action in Zoundweogo and the Customary Chief of Siltouko.
According to Burkina Information Agency, the Delwende Association was created to strengthen the financial independence of the village's women. This year, the association saw a record participation of 76 women, with weekly contributions ranging from 500 to 10,000 CFA francs per woman, depending on her means. In its three years of existence, Delwende has grown from initial savings of 500,000 CFA francs to more than 6 million this year.
The representative of the association's members, Rosalie Bonkoungou, welcomed these results, which, according to her, reflect the determination and solidarity of the women of Siltouko. "These savings allow us to lend to those who want to start a business, with a small interest rate. Many women have been able to launch income-generating activities, support their families, and even start raising livestock," she explained.
Ms. Bonkoungou thanked the customary and administrative authorities for their moral and technical support, while calling for more sustained institutional support. "Women are fighting day and night. If we were able to go from 500,000 to more than 6 million, it's because this initiative deserves to be supported," she argued.
For her part, Provincial Director in charge of Humanitarian Action in Zoundweogo, Ms. Doulkom Noelle, praised the results obtained by the members of the association, whom she congratulated for their perseverance and their spirit of mutual aid. "The example of the Delwende association shows that women, when they unite, can transform their situation and actively contribute to the development of the municipality, the province, and the entire country," she said.
She invited women from other localities to follow this model, in order to escape vulnerability and become actors of development. The traditional chief of Siltouko expressed his satisfaction with this women's initiative, while inviting members to cultivate mutual respect, cohesion, and discipline, guarantees of lasting success.