IT Cup Community Centre - Guié

Context

Located in the heart of West Africa, Burkina Faso, meaning the “land of upright people”, (formerly Upper Volta) is a Sahelian country landlocked between Mali, Niger, Benin, Togo, Ghana and Ivory Coast.

Located 60km from the capital Ouagadougou, Guiè is part of a group of particularly isolated municipalities. The economy of this rural environment in transition is based on agriculture, crafts and livestock. For several years, Guiè has been facing desertification caused by water scarcity and environmental degradation (deforestation, overexploitation of land, overgrazing).

In 1997 in Burkina Faso, Internet revolutionised everyday life and became an essential tool. But the isolation of the Guiè region made access to this technology difficult. Until January 2010, the inhabitants of Guiè had to go to the capital Ouagadougou, representing half a day of transport, to consult their emails and Internet.

The funds raised during the 6th edition of the IT CUP tournament organised in June 2009 in Clairefontaine (France), allowed Télécoms Sans Frontières and the IT CUP to open the 4th IT CUP community centre on 25th March 2010 in Guiè.

After 6 months of preparation, TSF and the organisers of the IT CUP inaugurated their support project with the Zoramb Naagtaaba Association (AZN) in Burkina Faso.

Since 1989, the association AZN - regrouping 10 villages – has struggled for its development, in particular in the fields of agro-environment, education and early childhood, health and the implication of the population in the management of AZN. This group represents about 10,000 inhabitants.

Access to digital tools

The TSF/IT CUP "Community Telecentre" provides an internet connection, telephone lines for national and international calls and all modern computer and office equipment, such as printers and scanners. It also offers computer training tailored to the needs of each beneficiary, whether student, farmer or AZN volunteer.

Each beneficiary participates in the operations of the Centre through a monitory contribution according to its resources. All the funds collected are reinvested directly in the project and the autonomy of the Centre.

This infrastructure also allowed AZN to share a connection for better coordination of its various programmes, thus optimising the collaboration with its partners.

Education

All AZN programs can use the Internet connection. The CIER department, however, has set up activities in close contact with the IT Cup centre, as apprentice students trained at AZN to become farmers or breeders also receive computer training. Particular emphasis is placed on the use of spreadsheets and the internet.