Ouagadougou: The Association of Women in the Mining Sector of Burkina Faso (AFEMIB), closed, on Wednesday August 21, 2024, a series of training sessions simultaneously in Silmiougou and Boussé, for the benefit of women's and youth associations , to strengthen their capacities in the areas of small ruminant breeding and market gardening. Associations of women and young people followed a series of training, which ended on Wednesday August 21, 2024 in Boussé. These workshops, which took place simultaneously in Silmiougou and Boussé, were organized by the Association of Women in the Mining Sector of Burkina Faso (AFEMIB). Participants were able to strengthen their knowledge in the areas of small ruminant breeding and market gardening in theoretical and practical sessions. Around fifty participants from the Nooma group for young people from the village of Silmiougou and the nayinéré association for the integral development of women of Kourwéogo (ANDI/FK) from Boussé. 'The main objective of the training sessio ns is to strengthen the capacities of beneficiaries in the practice of generating activities in their respective localities,' announced the organizers. The general secretary of AFEMIB, Annociata P. Thiombiano, indicated that the activity is part of the implementation of the 'Economic integration and community development' component of the intervention program of its structure. To this end, she said, the activity benefits from financial support from the Project to Support the Strengthening of Land and Mines Management (PARGFM), which intends to contribute to increasing entrepreneurship and socio-economic empowerment of young people and women living on mining sites or in localities impacted by mining activities. Describing the implementation process, the Secretary General stressed that the first phase of this mission consisted of a diagnostic study which made it possible to identify women and young people in mining localities and then identify the economic potential of said regions in the aim of specifying t he types of income-generating activities (IGA) that are suitable. Continuing her remarks, Annociata Thiombiano, stressed that at the end of the diagnostic study, a restitution and confirmation workshop of activity choices was organized. 'This gave the 'what you need' firm responsible for the study the opportunity to explain the objectives as well as the expectations of the project, before announcing the following steps,' added Ms. Thiombiano. Thus, continued the Secretary General, the present workshops follow training sessions in entrepreneurship and financial education for the benefit of the same actors. Under the leadership of Wenceslas Zongo, the Boussé trainees were introduced to the mastery of market gardening production techniques. Soil preparation, sowing, irrigation, biological control of pests and diseases, harvesting and conservation of products have been developed in turn. The same approach was applied to those of Silmiougou. Assata Zida, spoke to the participants on the breeding of small ru minants on the methods of breed selection, the choice and composition of feed, health care, reproduction and marketing of animals and derived products. The facilitators also made them aware of the need for collective work in order to encourage them to form a cooperative. The beneficiaries expressed their gratitude to AFEMIB, PARGEFEM, and the 'What you need' firm, for the financial and technical support, which will offer them other opportunities to improve their living conditions. For the president of ANDI/FK, Fatoumata Gansonré/Guelbéogo, compliance with the project schedule by the partners shows the importance they attach to the successful completion of the project. She invited the members of her structure to commit, to pool efforts and to strengthen the spirit of group work. Source: Burkina Information Agency