AMPO-ALMA

Frau Trienekens with the children

The AMPO-ALMA home was opened on 31.01.08.The objectives of this project are the same as in AMPO-MIA. Every two years we take in about 20 girls in difficulty.

The problems of the girls are usually due to external circumstances, e.g. rape, human trafficking, banishment. They may also be due to wrong decisions like leaving the countryside expecting to find wealth in the city of Ouagadougou. This can also result in misery and suffering.

In the AMPO-MIA and AMPO-ALMA facilities we offer the secure environment of a relatively small group where trauma can be processed, self-confidence created and trade skills acquired. Preparation and support are given for subsequent reintegration into stable social relationships. Various learning activities and moral support enable the girls to have a future in which they can determine their own fate in a positive way.

The ALMA home is lovingly and competently managed by Marie Salomé Minougou. Together with a staff of seven she looks after the well-being of the girls and their children. In the same way as in the MIA home, emphasis is placed on social behaviour, hygiene and ethics, in addition to training and education.

The ALMA home has its own tailoring workshop specialising in patchwork made of African materials. The tailoring trade ranks much higher in Burkina Faso than in Europe and once they are trained, the girls are guaranteed a regular income.

The girls are also trained in the kitchens, both in traditional and modern cuisine. Cooking not only benefits their own life but it also open up the possibility to work as a maid or assistant in a hotel or restaurant.
Similar to the system at MIA, a basic standard of training is provided, including arithmetic, French and civic education.

87% illiteracy in Burkina Faso is a staggering amount and is one of the reasons that this country is lagging behind or even at a standstill. Burkina Faso and similar countries can only escape from this desperate situation through education and creating a middle class.

All of the AMPO facilities offer basic education in the form of literacy and mathematics. At ALMA there are several 6-week teaching modules with external teachers and during these periods the girls only spend half the day in the tailoring workshop.