The President of Burkino Faso, Mr. Blaise Campaore, has awarded the country’s Order of Merit for rural development to the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA), an aid organization of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. The award cites ADRA’s “participation in the improvement of the agricultural and rural development of the nation and its people.”

“Burkina Faso is a small, land-locked Sahelian nation, scarce in natural resources, which has suffered tremendously due to long periods of drought,” says Allain Long, country director for ADRA Burkina Faso. “This has caused a great strain on the land. Therefore, the role of farmers is vital for the preservation of this nation’s already fragile environment. Farmers make up 90 percent of the nation’s active labor force. Thus, the state holds high stakes in honoring their work and in educating them on sustainable methods of agriculture.”

ADRA Burkina Faso’s Bazega team has been working closely with small farmers for over ten years, implementing responsible management of land and natural resources. Some of its activities include improving soil conditions by encouraging the use of compost pits and terracing, halting desertification through reforestation and education, improving hygienic conditions for humans and animals through the installation of latrines and stables, and providing sufficient potable water through the drilling of wells in remote villages which otherwise would not have access to water. The project also supports women’s groups by providing small loans for soap-making and agricultural co-operatives.

“I was thrilled to learn that ADRA Burkina Faso has been publicly recognized by the Head of State who personally presented the merit award,” says Siegfried G. Mayr, president of the Adventist Church for the Sahel countries that include Burkina Faso. “May the Lord continue to use ADRA as an instrument for helping the needy people in this country.”