Market-ready yarn in a week

The session was led by Lankouandé Madame, herself a programme beneficiary. Originally from Diaka, in eastern Burkina Faso, she moved to Ouagadougou after the security situation forced her to leave. With greater access to training in the capital, she progressed quickly and became a trainer herself. Fatoumata is now following the same path. As a member of the RELWENDE cooperative in Saye, she will train other women in her community. The training was designed to build exactly this: skills that travel, person to person, long after the week ends.

The Indian spinning wheel arrived in Burkina Faso in 2022, as part of ACP project Phase 1. Before that, most spinners used a distaff which is slower and less consistent. The wheel produces more thread, better quality, and products that can reach new markets. In Burkina Faso, spinning sits at the heart of the cotton value chain, from raw fibre to finished cloth. When women like Fatoumata master their craft and pass it on, the whole chain gets stronger.