Mouhoun: The Secretary General of the Boucle du Mouhoun region, Adjara Sandrine Kientega Ouedraogo, chaired the launch and targeting workshop of the project titled ‘Expanding market access and opportunities for small and medium-sized enterprises led by young people and owned by young women in Burkina Faso.’ This initiative, launched on Friday, August 29, 2025, in Dedougou, is spearheaded by the NGO Bridge Africa Solutions Organization (BASO) and is financially supported by the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA). It focuses on enhancing the rice and vegetable value chains in the Boucle du Mouhoun region.
According to Burkina Information Agency, the workshop gathered administrative and customary authorities, representatives from technical services, civil society organizations, and economic actors. It marks the start of a collective effort aimed at bolstering capacity building, training, and developing more accessible markets to foster the growth of competitive SMEs in the region.
The project aims to fortify the capabilities of young and women-led small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), facilitating their access to markets and economic prospects. These agricultural sectors are vital levers for job creation and poverty alleviation in the regional economy.
Adjara Sandrine Kientega/Ouedraogo expressed optimism about this initiative, highlighting its potential to bring hope to the community. She underscored the necessity of accurately identifying the beneficiaries’ needs and priorities to ensure meaningful impacts on their living conditions. She emphasized that the workshop is crucial for aligning actions with regional realities and enabling communities to benefit fully.
Kientega/Ouedraogo also mentioned that this project aligns with national policies promoting employment and empowering young people and women. She urged all stakeholders to embrace the program to ensure its success and longevity, stressing the importance of beneficiary-driven initiatives for sustainable impact.
Yendie Gayeri, BASO’s country representative, emphasized the organization’s commitment to leveraging young people and women as catalysts for development. He highlighted that the project would provide better opportunities, technical support, and access to new markets for entrepreneurs.
Gayeri noted that the project addresses local entrepreneurs’ challenges, often constrained by limited technical and financial resources. It aims to enhance management and production skills, improve product processing and marketing infrastructure, and generate economic momentum to drive income, reduce unemployment, and foster community development.
The workshop discussions identified Banwa and Kossi provinces as priority intervention areas. Participants devised concrete actions to strengthen SMEs, encourage women’s entrepreneurship, establish collaborative networks between producers, processors, and distributors, and improve market access.
A strong emphasis was placed on the necessity for technical and financial assistance to help beneficiaries overcome developmental obstacles. Established in 2020, BASO is dedicated to fighting poverty, promoting food security, and supporting youth entrepreneurship.
AGRA’s support highlights the strategic significance of this project. The organization has long been committed to modernizing Africa’s agricultural systems and increasing producers’ incomes. By backing BASO, AGRA seeks to promote sustainable solutions to help small agricultural and commercial businesses flourish in challenging environments.