In the words of Lisa P. Jackson, Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), clean cookstoves in the developing world is a women's issue, a childrens' issue, and an economic issue. As this significantly affects the lives of the women and children, who sit near cooking hearths for hours together and risk their lives, International Women’s Day seemed to be the perfect day for Entrepreneurs of the World to raise money for clean cookstoves by reaching out to people on Facebook.
Where Burkina Faso would possibly be just another country on the map of Africa to remember from school room days, it became for Facebook users a place where they could make a difference to the lives of women and children by donating a small sum.
The Foundation L’Occitane in partnership with Entrepreneurs of the World - Burkina Faso (EoW – BF) raised funds through Facebook with the operation “1 fan = 1 € ” between March 8 and March 16.
The operation collected € 6976 which EoW-BF used to fund training of 1380 women in Burkina Faso on forest preservation. These funds were also used to subsidize 50 per cent of the cost of improved cook stoves.
According to Armel, Social Business Manager at Entrepreneurs du Monde in Burkina Faso, “In 2010, over 70 bricklayers were trained by GIZ to build 3-stone improved cook stoves. This stove helps fight deforestation, while respecting local customs and the health of its users.”
EoW-BF actively uses medium of mass communication and social networking sites to not only raise awareness but to invite participation for their cookstove initiative in Burkina Faso.
Radio as a medium has higher number of audience in women owing to their routine, where they listen to radio programmes while attending to their house chores. EoW-BF has intelligently used this medium to raise consciousness on one of the hard pressing global issues of smoke in the kitchen and its consequent hazards.
Entrepreneurs of the World is working in nine countries presently and supports micro-entrepreneurial initiatives with five different tools.
