THE INITIAL SITUATION |  | | | | | |  | | Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso lies south of the Sahel zone in West Africa. Its neighboring countries are Mali, Niger, Benin, Togo, Ghana and Ivory Coast. The country has an area of 274,200 square kilometers, making it about the size of the former German Federal Republic, and a population of about 12 million people. The national language is French, but this is spoken by only some of the people. Because its 60 different ethnic groups speak a multitude of regional dialects.
Dano
Dano is a small market town with about 10,000 inhabitants, and the capital of the province of Ioba. This used to be the area occupied by the Dagara, but as a result of migratory movements the different ethnic groups are now scattered throughout the country. | | | | |  | | | | |  | | | | | The climate
The southeast of Burkina Faso experiences an annual rainfall of 800-900 mm, which is sufficient in quantity but very unfavorable in timing: After a rainy season lasting about 5 months, which causes large areas of erosion, the watercourses dry up and remain dry for the rest of the year. Water must then be fetched from distant wells, which may be hours away. This task falls upon women and girls, and it's therefore difficult for girls to attend school. In many locations even wells don't exist -- only water holes, whose muddy liquid must suffice to quench the thirst of both man and beast, with a high risk of infection. | |
The water shortage limits the region's potential for development and is a major problem in meeting the needs of the population. | | | | |  | | | | |  | | | | |  | | | | | Comparison of countries
The following table compares Germany and Burkina Faso, and may give an inkling of why we're so highly motivated to provide development aid in this area. | | | | |  | | | | |  | |  | | | | |  | |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
