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From our very beginnings, and thanks to the constant collaboration of the Friends of Rimkieta, the FAR projects have helped benefit many people in need.

Beneficiaries of the projects 

• 480 children have attended the maternelle (nursery school).
• 46 children have been reintegrated in schools and in education workshops.
• 120 nursery school students’ mothers have been trained in literacy, hygiene, health and nutrition sessions
• 280 children have received scholarships
• 280 children have received extra-curricular education through sport activity
• More than 600 women have been able to start their new business with the aid of the microcredits.
• More than 400.000 rations have been provided through the cereal bank.
• Around 25.000 people seen at the Primary Health Care Centre
• More than 5 MM of water extracted from the two wells

Monitoring and Follow-Up

FAR evaluates and follows up on all of its ongoing projects and receives periodic reports for each one, which are analyzed by the Foundation President, the Patrons and collaborators for this purpose.

The person responsible for each Project sends a weekly email report to Barcelona, using the available internet access at the Foundation offices in Rimkieta. The Barcelona team replies promptly to those in charge in Rimkieta, with relevant comments. 

Education Project

It is estimated that Rimkieta is about 40km2 with around 65.000 people, the majority of whom are younger than 16.   Regarding education, besides "Maternelle Valencia's" FAR, Rimkieta has only 5 nursery schools, all of them private, and 4 state primary schools. Only 2% of children aged between 3 and 6 are schooled and many children and adolescents wander the streets daily because they have nowhere to go.

The aim of the FAR in this area is to promote schooling and/or professional training, especially among the youngest.

Projects running

Maternelle “Valencia” (2008- )

Construction and implementation of a nursery school with capacity for 300 children. It is equipped with 3 classrooms, lunchroom, playfround, teachers' meeting room, the Foundation's offices and guard's house.   The nursery school takes in children between 3 and 5 in three grades: P3, P4 and P5 and provides an educational, nutritional and medical care program for the 240 children.

The program includes prescolar teaching in french, complete breakfast (chocolate milk with cereals, rice, eggs, fruit and bread), monitoring of growth and vitamin supplementation, minerals and anti-parasites.

It also includes education for 40 mothers of the children attending the school, with nutrition and hygiene courses, as well as basic instruction on letters and numbers in French.

"SCHOOL, PROFESIONAL AND SPORTS REINTEGRATION" PROJECT (SINCE 2007)

Project designed as a means of education to prevent the children from hanging around the streets with nothing to do and with the consequent risk of getting into the different circuits of drugs, addictions, violence, serious illnesses, prostitution and social isolation, which are very difficult to get out.   The project has two areas: the "Education and Reintegration programme" for children in serious family difficulties and the "Sports education programme".

It is aimed at children from 8 to 12 years old who do not go to school and who, despite having a home and family, wander the streets daily with nothing to do and with a high risk. The program has as its objective the training, education and orientation of the children so that they abandon the streets. Every year, 15 new children attend the FAR Monday to Friday from 9AM to 5PM and are given classes in education, sports activities, nutrition and health, with the aim that they return to school or learn a skill. In the first case, the FAR facilitates everything necessary for their return to school (in most cases, they need financial assistance to pay the registration and material); and in the second instance, the FAR facilitates their access (payment of the 4 to 7 years’ training) to workshops for mechanics, carpenters, tailors, electricians, etc. according to each child’s characteristics.

The second project, Education through Sports Training, is aimed at 80 youngsters from 10 to 18 years old and is an after-school activity, three days a week. The sports training has as its objective to work with the children on the values implicit in sports, such as teamwork, companionship, respect, tolerance, following rules, perseverance, overcoming obstacles, self-discipline, responsibility, co-operation, honesty, loyalty and achievement. 

SCHOLARSHIPS (2009- )

After the terrible floods of September 2009 that leave about 350.000 people homeless and without anything, we created the project of “Scholarships” in order to give the necessary help to thousands of children from Rimkieta so they could continue with their studies at the state’s schools in Rimkieta. At the moment we provide schooling for an average of 280 children every year.

HELP FOR THE BADENYA SCHOOL OF LA SALLE (2007 AND 2008)

Specific help for the construction of new classrooms and a nursery at the Badenya School of La Salle (more than 1.000 students) with the aim of increasing the schooling capacity. 

PROFESSIONAL TRAINING FOR MECHANICS (2006- )

Small project of professional training for a young orphan in Rimkieta to instruct him in the skills of mechanics or bricklaying to guarantee his income and quality of life. The training is given in Mr. Paul Kaboré’s workshop, who has been working with the FAR for 5 years and is in charge of the tree-planting project.

Development Project

Includes all the initiatives and activities aimed at improving economic growth and improving the living conditions of the inhabitants of Rimkieta.

Projects running

microcredit programme for entrepreneurial women (2007- )

The Foundation concedes loans to women with initiative to help their professional development and favour equal opportunities. The FAR has given approximately 600 microcredits of €75. The project is directed at entrepreneurial women, with the aim of giving them the necessary help to start a business.

This initiative allows them to achieve the personal benefits of challenge and overcoming obstacles and obtain the necessary social status which will allow them to, in the case of their spouse’s death, decide the fate of their childrens’ lives and their own.

We currently have some 200 active microcredits and concede between 15 and 20 new loans every month.

The total portfolio is 15.000€ and the default rate does not exceed 2%.

planting and protection of 3.100 trees (2008- )

The trees planting’s aim is to bring to the population the countless advantages of the regeneration of the vegetation. Even more so in a suburb like Rimkieta, with its harsh living conditions; a dry and arid climate for eight months a year and the incapacity to manage the excessive rains over the other four. The rains and the temperatures are more extreme in both their highs and lows due to the lack of vegetation.

The project has consisted of planting 3.100 trees with their respective protective fencing, reinforced by a programme of raising the awareness of the people so that they respect and care for the trees.

cereal bank (2007- )

Construction and implementation project of a Cereal Bank to sell corn and other cereals. The project consists of buying maize at harvest prices to help those who most need it, with around 150.000 rations of food during the times of extreme scarcity.

MINI "pig farming" family project (2009- )

Project for a possible mini-farm of raising pigs with the aim to help the widow of Rimkieta. The project, which does not need much infrastructure or resources, involves providing the necessary means to develop the pigs raising in their houses and to accompany them through the first years of farming in order to help them in which necessary for them. At the moment, the project is in testing stage with Paul, the person in charge of the project, and with a widow of Rimkieta.

Health Project

One of our biggest challenges is to reduce the infant mortality rate and raise the hope for a better quality of life for the residents of Rimkieta. Malnutrition, the scarcity of medical resources and lack of prevention favour the spread of fatal diseases such as malaria, yellow fever, typhoid fever, etc.

As of today, Rimkieta has only the Foundation's Primary Health Care centre, which is insufficient for its population. The FAR develops projects oriented towards preventing or alleviating the suburb’s health problems.

Projects running

PRIMARY HEALTH CARE CENTRE (2007- )

The project consists of the construction, implementation and running of a Primary Health Care Centre at the Saint's Augustine Parish in Bissighin. The centre now receives up to 15 to 20 daily visits and although we continue to assist them with the donation of medicines, it is self-sufficient and directly managed by the parish. .

“mosquito net” project (2009- )

Malaria is the principal cause of infant mortality in Africa, affecting more than 300 million people a year and causing over 2 million deaths annually, half of whom are from children under 5 years of age.   The project consists, on the one hand, in making the people of Rimkieta aware of the necessity and advantages of the use of mosquito nets to prevent the illness.   On the other hand, the FAR sells mosquito nets at a price that is within the reach of the people with fewer resources.

MEDICAL FACILITIES (2010- )

This project is aimed at increasing the equipment and sanitary resources currently available in Rimkieta to better the quality and effectiveness of the medical service.    The first initiative in this area has been the purchase of two motorcycle-ambulances to facilitate the transportation of patients

Water Project

58% of Rimkieta’s population has no access to potable water. The distances in Rimkieta are great and there are no means of transport and the residents, usually women or young girls, have to walk many miles carrying water containers. Our projects at this point answer to the necessity to provide potable water to Rimkieta's residents.

well “JEANOLOGÍA” (2011- )

Building of a well drinking water with and Indian bomb in Zongo, anex quartier in Rimkieta. The well "Jeanologia" with an approximate capacity of 2.200 litres per hour, supplies drinkable water to a population of approximately 3.000 people.

Well “emshi” (2009- )

Building of a drinkable water well in the Maternelle “Valencia” equipped with solar cells and a water tank.  The well "Emshi" has a capacity of approximately 500 litres per hour and and supplies water to all the projects of the FAR and the daily watering of the trees plantation.

Building of a well drinking water in one of the most in need sectors of Rimkieta. With a Volanta pump and an approximate capacity of 1.200 litres per hour, supplies drinkable water to a population of approximately 2.000 people.

Upcoming Projects

Our commitment and desire for permanence in Rimkieta drive us to go the extra mile, to identify the difficulties and future needs of the suburb and to design new projects to meet them. 

In this way, we hope to continue to count on your collaboration to realise the next objectives:

1. To attend the monthly fixed costs from the operation of the ongoing projects in Rimkieta (Nursery School, Microcredits, Sports School, Children of the street, Cereal Bank, Health Center of Primary care, Mosquito nets, etc.) in order to persevere in Rimkieta.
2. Construction of a Centre of integration of school, professional and sports.
3. Construction of a Mill of millet close to the Cereal Bank.
4. Construction of a Cyberoffice to provide the access to computers and internet to Rimkieta.
5. Increase the trees project with a new plantation of 500 new trees
6.  Construction of a second Nursery School for 300 children