Why are we here?

We hope to achieve many goals in our three months here, both as a team and with AVO.

As a team:

• To find partners and sponsorship nationally and internationally to help fund a new irrigation system for the farm run by women to help grow maize and create products such as cocoa butter and soap to sell in order to raise income, improve weaving and other income based activities.
• For the children: find partners to provide rice to increase community meals to one a week      and to provide educational equipment for the children in order for them to attend school.
• Increase awareness of women’s rights, the needs of vulnerable children, and womens living conditions in Koudougou and surrounding villages.
• Provide sessions on language, health & hygiene, and maths & literacy for children across the 3 months. For the women, we will provide literacy classes and marketing sessions to help boost the possibility of gaining greater income for themselves and their families in the long term.

With AVO:

• Provide frequent English & IT lessons for the staff alongside project and leadership sessions
• Decorate the buildings, make the signs more visible with new logos and new signs, as well as, create a safe cooking and recreational area for children and open days within the yard.
• Increasing the exposure of AVO on social networks by creating a Facebook page and a blog which will both be frequently updated.
• Help to implement support networks and buddy systems with the Women and Children respectively. The bigger and stronger the support network for them the greater help and assistance they will have in creating a better, more comfortable life for themselves.   

What we hope will continue once we leave?

Whilst each cohort is only here for three months our plans are looking to the future; we are planning for sustainability. We want AVO to continue self-sufficiently to truly make a long lasting change and this will not happen in three months. Only so many volunteers can give their time and knowledge to help and teach here in Koudougou. We endeavour to teach the skills and understanding so the people of AVO can continue to earn, help and teach those who also will need relief in the future years.