Learning improved processing skills through a digital eCoach in Burkina Faso

In Burkina Faso and the rest of the Sahel the exploitation and sale of Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs) provide significant income and food to vulnerable people in the rural and urban areas. An important NTFP in Burkina Faso is soumbala, a highly nutritious traditional West African seasoning. 

Though, the majority of processors are illiterate (69%) and exert their activity in poor hygienic conditions. These processors have limited knowledge of good manufacturing and hygiene practices. Research has shown that the hygienic status, quality and safety of soumbala are very doubtful based on various practices of producers-sellers.. 

To support these producers, often young and illiterate women, AUXFIN Burkina Faso has developed the NTFPCoach, a digital training application pacted with offline videos in the local languages Moore and Dyula. 

The new NTFP has been evaluated in a pilot with 342 G50 Groups. With the app, producers had access to 61 videos that teach the best practices for soumbala. All videos have been approved by the Direction Générale de l’Economie Verte et Changement Climatique  (DGEVCC) of the Ministère de l'Environnement, de l'Eau et de l'Assainissement du Burkina Faso. DGEVCC sees NTFP as a core pillar for the national green economy, combining ecological conservation and restoration of trees with local economic empowerment. 

The evaluation concluded the NTFPCoach has been well received by the G50 network. Overall the app was appreciated by nearly all users (98%) and the videos were well understood. The content was indicated as useful and contained new information for 96% of the users.  

“All members of our group watched and repeated the videos on making soumbala, even those who hadn't actively participated in making it. We continue to watch them because it taught us a lot of things we didn't know,” - Quote from a producer in Korsimoro

Users stated that they learned simplified and much more hygienic techniques from NTFPCoach compared to what they did traditionally. 

“The stone removal method used in the NTFPCoach content really impressed me. This method, which involves removing small stones before crushing, is very interesting. It allowed us to obtain a large quantity of product at the end of the process, unlike our previous method of removing stones after crushing. This made the manufacturing process longer, resulting in a small quantity of product.” - Quote from a female producer in Kaya 

Both experienced and inexperienced users demonstrated they are making better quality and more hygienic soumbala using the best practices demonstrated in the NTFPCoach. 

Though in practice, seed availability proves to be a common bottleneck for processing more soumbala.

Currently, the NTFPCoach is further updated, including a process to make a drink based on African Locust Bean seed, different seasonings based on soumbala and best practices

processing of Shea nuts into Shea butter. The app will continue to be scaled up to other G50 groups in Burkina Faso.

The NFTPCoach has been developed in collaboration with TreeAid. 

Read the full evaluation report here, available in English and French:

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