Burkina Faso - "Land of the Upright People"

Article from Bridging the Gap Vol. I, a semi-annual publication by Verbree International. Copyright 2005.

Introduction

How good is your geography? In the days when many educators bemoan the lack of general geographical knowledge, it is difficult to find people who know where Burkina Faso is. “Never heard of it” is the most common response we get at Verbree International, usually after a polite, “What was that again? Can you repeat that?”

Okay, so geography is not at the top of most people's priority or interest list. We have our work cut out for us here. But, we are not daunted by the task of educating the masses about a country that is below most people's radar screens.

Politically, being a quiet, virtually unknown country is not all bad. It usually means there is peace there.

This article describes in more detail the country of Burkina Faso, which literally means “Land of the Upright People”. And indeed, the Burkinabe people are upright people, hard-working, yet very poor. They may not be very different from you in many basic respects except for the fact that they are poor.

Phyto-what?

What is most unique about Burkina Faso is its phytogeographic location. Phytogeographic is a term that describes the climate (amount of rainfall, temperature range) and the accompanying types of vegetation. Being landlocked in the pan-handle of West Africa near the Sahara Desert makes Burkina Faso short on water and high on heat. However, it is not a true desert. Instead, it falls within what geographers call the “semi-arid” zone, an area where rain still falls (at least 11.7 in. a year), but where high temperatures (>100°F) always make for a water deficit in the air. In other words, the air is almost always dry.

This affects what types of vegetation is present in Burkina Faso. Only trees and crops that can withstand the hot and dry conditions survive. Most of Burkina Faso is divided up into two specific phytogeographic zones called the “Sahel” and “Sudan” zones. The Sahel is a region stretching beyond Burkina Faso and is the arabic word for “shore”. It encompasses the area south of the Sahara Desert and is indeed the “shore” of one of the largest deserts in the world.

The Sahel and Sudan zones, much like the rest of central Africa, has a rainy season and a dry season. The rainy season starts in April or May and can last as short as four months in the north or as long as six months in the south. The rest of the year, there is no rain. This rather unfortunate pattern of rainfall is a result of what is called the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ), a line between two opposing air masses that migrates across central Africa each year. When the ITCZ is over a particular area, it rains. When it is gone, nothing but blue sky.

Behind the Mask

Understanding Burkina Faso's harsh environment is important in understanding its history and modern situation. It is a country of approximately 13 million people-not large by any means. However, there are around 60 different people groups and languages in the country, which measures up a little smaller than the state of Nevada.

If Burkina Faso is known for anything, it is probably for its highly developed art culture including music, dance, theater, cinema, and crafts, especially masks.

People settled in this area centuries ago when a busy trade existed across the Sahara Desert between northern Africa and the powerful gold kingdoms of Ghana and Mali. In the 1400's, the Mossi people group formed several powerful kingdoms centered around the capital of Ouagadougou (pronounced “Wa-ga-doo-goo”). The Mossi, like other West African kingdoms, were invaded from time to time by the Islamic peoples of the northwest. The Mossi maintained their independence and animist ways for the most part.

Many other people groups were in the same area including the nomadic or semi-nomadic Fulani who converted to Islam and remain Muslim to this day. During the colonial period, the French introduced Christianity. Thus, today, Burkina Faso holds a mixture of people (Mossi 50%, other minority groups 50%) and religions (50% Muslim, 40% traditional animists, and 10% Christians).

The French, after conquering much of West Africa in the late 19th century, called the area of Burkina Faso “Upper Volta”. In 1960, it became independent. After a somewhat shaky start and a brief period of socialism (where the name of the country was officially changed to Burkina Faso), it is now a peaceful, capitalistic democracy.

Drought Troubles

Beginning around the time of the severe drought in 1968-73 and ever since then, the Sahel region has experienced environmental troubles, namely a process of land degradation called desertification. The causes of this degradation are mostly human ones such as cattle overgrazing, deforestation, and cultivation on marginal lands. It has stripped Burkina Faso of much of its soil, leaving the land “desert-like” and incapable of agriculturally supporting a population that continues to grow at a relatively high rate.

It is estimated that only 12% of the land in Burkina Faso is arable (being used for farming), yet 90% of the people in Burkina Faso are engaged in subsistence farming or herding. When droughts occur, (about every 4 years), it can be very devastating to agricultural production, livestock herds, and of course, to people too.

Economic Woes

As is the case for many sub-Saharan African countries, economic times are tough. With a less than adequate infrastructure of hospitals, schools, and roads and a lack of capital and investment for spurring economic growth, most people in Burkina Faso continue to struggle on at a subsistence level. There are a few textile mills and a commercial cotton industry, but many Burkinabes have no jobs. In recent years, they have had to migrate to Cote D'Ivoire for work on the cocoa plantations. They face a hostile situation there as that country has recently erupted several times into civil war. This unrest has negatively affected the trade between the two countries. Burkina Faso, having few natural resources, is very dependent upon surrounding countries for its goods.

The Situation Today

From the description of Burkina Faso so far, it may seem that the situation is not too bad. But when one looks at the statistics, mainly published by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), it begins to look pretty grim.

Here are some basic facts.

• Life expectancy is 45.8 years.
• On average, 6 children are born to one woman. The infant mortality rate is around 10.7%.
• 45.3% of the people live below the national poverty line which is equivalent to $1.08/day.
• Around 34% of the children under the age of five are malnourished.
• The literacy rate is 26%.

Based on these statistics, Burkina Faso does seem to warrant the inauspicious title: “One of the poorest nations in the world”. In 2004, the UNDP ranked Burkina Faso 175 out of 177 countries on the Human Development Index in its Human Development Report. This Index is based on life expectancy, adult literacy, school enrollment, and GDP.

Heartbreak and Hope

The statistics show a country in need of some help. Though its people may be hard-working, they face environmental and economic constraints that seem very insurmountable.

But they are not without hope for the future. Some of the environmental problems are being dealt with-desertification can be reversed. There are ways to restore soil fertility and agricultural productivity so that people can get out of poverty and enjoy a healthier, longer life.

Verbree International is sending development workers to Burkina Faso to serve the Burkinabe people and give them hope through grass-roots agricultural development. Please consider supporting their efforts with prayers and donations. Find out how to do this by visiting their website (www.verbree.org) or contacting the Verbrees at info@verbree.org or writing to Verbree International 748 Sugarcreek Trail Rochester, N.Y. 14580.

References

• UNDP Human Development Report, 2004
• Country Study on Burkina Faso Biodiversity, UNDP, 1999
• History of Africa, Revised Edition. Kevin Shillington, St. Martin's Press, New York, 1995