Case study Burkina Faso (W Africa) May 06
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INTRODUCTION
Burkina Faso in W Africa was the destination for a week
long training workshop by Didier Simons (WHF Belgium &
Handicap Internationale Belgium Vice-President) & David
Abrutat (WHF Secretary) held between Saturday 29 Apr 06
and Thursday 4 May 06.
This was in follow-up to the work of Didier Simons in
2005 and to assist the work of the Swiss based charity
Handicap Solidaire and Handicap Solidaire Burkina based
in the capital Ouagadougou.
Handicappe Suisse created Handicap Solidaire Burkina (HSB)
in 2002 to offer people with locomotor disabilities (predominantly
polio) a place in society, other than begging. Without
wheelchairs, children with polio rarely attend schools
and get a primary education. As an adult there are few
prospects to find employment.
The Swiss had a number of goals with setting up the
collaborative work with HSB in Ouagadougou. These
included the promotion of autonomy of disabled people in
developing countries such as BF. With the establishment
of a workshop for building wheelchairs and sports
equipment in Ouagadougou the Burkinabes could become
self-sufficient in the fabrication and repair of
disabled equipment in their own country. The
organisation was keen to develop local craft skills in
the disabled community to fight against begging & also
to promote disabled sports and scholarships by disabled
people.
As WHF representatives in BF we were keen to focus on
the development of handcycling and we had the following
aims:
- Assess potential development opportunities with
Handicap Solidaire in handcycling in Burkina Faso by
the WHF and collaborative organisations
- Instruct athletes in training techniques,
tactics, diet & nutrition, WHF Rules & Regulations,
race discipline etc.
- Prepare and develop elite athletes for IPC World
Championships (September 06 in Aigle, Switzerland)
and for future IPC Paralympic Games and JAPHAF (Jeux
de l’Avenir des personnes handicapées d’Afrique)
- Prepare training programmes for elite athletes
and assist coaches/trainers in developing these
athletes
- Assess potential for WHF World Cup Series race
in 2007 in Ouagadougou which could be run as the 1st
African Handcycling Championships
- Assess viability of UCI Tour du Faso race for
potential WHF World Cup Series
DEVELOPMENT AREAS
WORKSHOP – Handicap Solidaire have created a fabrication/welding
workshop that employs 17 disabled people in Ouagadougou,
to build wheelchairs and handcycles. The goal is also to
export these to neighbouring Sahelian countries such as
Niger. |
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The workshop funded by Handicap
Solidaire in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso |
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The following equipment can be built at the workshop:
Childrens Wheelchair – 100000 CFA
Wheelchair – 100000 CFA
Basketball chair 100000 CFA
Tricycle 120000 CFA
Wheelchair handcycle 140000 CFA
Tricycle sport 110000 CFA
Handcycle 140000 CFA
Motorised - POA
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The workshop is unique in Africa. There is considerable
scope for bringing out skilled welders/fabricators from
a European/Western wheelchair/handcycle manufacturer to
share knowledge and skills in the design and
construction of this equipment. The materials are very
poor quality in Ouagadougou & the welding & fabrication
techniques are poor – thus build quality is poor for the
bikes. Short term improvements could be made by
facilitating this knowledge transfer that would have an
immediate impact on the durability and maintenance of
these bikes and chairs.
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SPORT
One of the founding aims for HSB is to develop
wheelchair/disabled sport including sports such as
tennis, table tennis, basketball and handcycling.
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During the course of the weeks programme the assembled
athletes were instructed on:
- Handcycling - role of IPC, UCI & WHF
- Training methods
- Race tactics & techniques
- Diet & nutrition
- Classification
- WHF Rules & regulations
- Weight/strength training
- Stretching
- Group training programmes
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SUMMARY
For the Burkinabes there are three main generic areas of
concern:
- Technical support & equipment
- Knowledge transfer/training of coaches/trainers and
athletes
- Financial assistance
But for all the above, the most critical is having
follow-on support. To be specific the BF Trainer (Kabre
Madi) outlined the Burkinabes need:
- Equipment and handcycles
- Introduction and development of handcycling in Burkina
Faso’s main towns
- Formation of a National Handcycling Association and a
competition structure
- Assist with coordination of National and Regional
Competitions (Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, Benin, CDI)
- Form a management team to oversee development in BF
- Assist with development of a sports centre for
disabled sports in Ouagadougou.
Action Plan
- Contact Tour du Faso coordinators to assess viability
for final stage entry for handcyclists
- At WHF Annual Congress discuss viability for Ouaga
2000 to be a venue for handcycle race in 2007 as part of
the WHF World Cup Series (Sep 06)
- Further collaborative work on sports (specifically
handcycling) projects in Burkina Faso and neighbouring
Sahelian countries with organisations such as Handicap
International and Handicap Solidaire.
- Identify skilled welder/fabricator pool in Europe for
knowledge sharing/transfer on similar development trips
- Relay design plans and regulatory handcycle design
features to coordinating design engineer in Ouagadougou
(May 06).
- Assist with elite athletes travel, training and racing
in Europe (Sep 06)
Annex 1 – Participating Athletes
(Liste des athlètes ayant participez au stages)
TAPSOBA Yacouba (Armstrong) Ouagadougou
KORO Edouard Ouagadougou
NIKIEMA Kady Ouagadougou
GASBÈOGO Alassane Ouagadougou
GUISSOU Victorine Koudougou
TRAORE Aziz Ouagadougou
GASME Maimouna Ouagadougou
OUEDRAOGO Sali Ouagadougou
DJIBO Souley Bobo
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