Meet the Team
Jonny Wooldridge: Executive Officer
I joined the Transform Burkina team in April 2020 and am looking forward to continuing the good work carried our by my predecessors. Originally I was a Geography teacher, but in recent years have moved onto various roles with charities and in business.
Robert (Bob) McCullagh: Trustee (Chair)
I have been involved with Burkina Faso since 2003. I first visited the country in 2005 and since then I have worked with teams on water well drilling projects and supported school building and local health centre development projects. Other projects have included the annual importation of a consignment of mangoes –some of the best in the world – direct from local Burkinabé farmers. I am the Chair of Transform Burkina.Stephen Buwert: Trustee
I first went to Burkina Faso in 2009 as part of a team from my school, and returned in 2010 leading a small team from my university Christian Union. The trips had a big impact on me, and I have retained an active interest in the area ever since. Since completing my degree in Ecology in 2013 I went on to become a primary school teacher, and the areas of sustainable agriculture and education are areas of personal interest to me.
Colin Richards: Trustee
I first visited Burkina Faso in 2008 and have been each year since then. I have seen, first hand, the importance and the difference that education can make in the lives of African children. Since my first visit I have focused on exploring opportunities to create school links for the benefit of students both in Burkina Faso and in the UK. I am a trustee of Transform Burkina.David Smith: Trustee (Treasurer)
My involvement with Burkina Faso began in the late 1990s when our local church helped finance some church and school buildings in Ouagadougou. Subsequently we sourced and financed a number of vehicles for export to Burkina along with medical and computer equipment. More recently it all became personal when my daughter married a Burkinabé. I am the Treasurer of Transform Burkina.Jenny Stephens: Trustee
I went to Burkina Faso in August 2007 with the youth group from my local church, and have retained a strong interest in the country and its people every since. At the time I knew very little about Burkina Faso but from previous visits to African countries I knew it was somewhere I would be interested in going. However I wasn’t prepared for how touched I would be by the people we met. I am a trustee of Transform Burkina.Judith Walker: Trustee
I have visited Burkina Faso on three occasions since 2008, each time with a group of sixth year pupils from the school where I worked. The visits had a big impact on each team, as we recognised the importance of education ,which is something we have taken for granted.
Since then I have been supporting the work of Transform Burkina, and am now looking forward to being more involved in supporting education projects and seeing lives transformed. I am a Trustee of Transform Burkina.
Help to change lives
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Our UK Aid funded project is now providing clean water to the village of Mako, with 2,548 people now benefitting from clean water from the newly refurbished well.
For more information about what we do please Like our page or check us out at www.transformburkina.org.uk
Well Rehabilitation Project
We're pleased to announce an exciting new partnership with CO2 Balance, a UK company specialising in Carbon Offsetting. The project aims to provide clean water for many of the rural poor in Burkina Faso AND to help prevent global warming!
The inital pilot scheme is being launched in January 2022 and aims to rehabilitate 26 wells that have fallen into disuse, providing clean water to over 10,000 people. Having clean water means that there's no longer a requirement to boil water to purify it, and the wood and CO2 that is saved is known as a carbon credit, which can be sold to companies and institutions wishing to offset their carbon footprint. The income from this sale funds the project.
Having access to clean water is regarded as the single most important change that can be made to affect peoples lives, leading to a meaningful drop in water-borne diseases and other health issues. For example, the infant mortality rate immediately drops by 20% in areas where clean water is introduced.
If the intial pilot is successful, we've already agreed to continue the project for 5 years and rehabilitate 520 wells and provide clean water for over 200,000 people!
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It's harvest time for our students who received their starter kits of seeds and tools.
A total of 7 tons of cowpeas and onions, averaging 350kg per student, means they've grown enough for themselves and to sell the rest for a small profit to purchase essentials and re-invest in their new farm.
News from Twitter
The team did it!! They chased the sun from Bridlighton to Morecambe and beat it! Thanks to all those who took part, donated and supported the event. It was a magnificent achievement. The money raised will make a huge difference to the people of #BurkinaFaso. THANK YOU! pic.twitter.com/uzIWGySClc