WEST AFRICA
Burkina Faso, Mali and a tourist stop in Benin*

Come and Celebrate the Harvest! 

New dates and pricing will be announced
in August 2008

Come and celebrate the harvest! Lutheran World Relief’s (LWR) Study Tour to West Africa will be a feast for the senses as participants visit and learn about the work of LWR and its partners in Burkina Faso and Mali. Participants will visit various LWR projects including a shea butter production project and a sesame growers’ cooperative. A tourist visit to neighboring Benin is also included in the itinerary. This Study Tours is designed give participants opportunities to witness how LWR and its partners work with rural communities to make long-lasting improvements to their lives and livelihoods.

 

 

	Depart from Dulles Airport*
	Arrive in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
	Overview of LWR’s work in West Africa Depart to Tenkodogo, Burkina Faso
	Shea butter is used in a variety of ways—from soap to cooking oil and even medicine! See how 100 women are learning the skills to weather uncertain market conditions through LWR’s shea butter production project.
	You’ve seen in the news the effects of rice costs on the world food supply.  During this visit to the Bagre rice project, see how LWR works with partners to provide training and financial resources to help rice producers maintain viable businesses.
	On our visit to the Nungu Kossom milk processing facility we’ll meet a group of women who have successfully maintained two semi-industrial milk processing units and, in doing so, gained economic independence.  Game Drive in Penjari National Park, Benin Nestled among the hills and cliffs of the Atakora range, the Pendjari National Park in western Benin is home to various animal life—elephants, monkeys, lions, hippopotamuses, buffalo, antelopes, and various bird species all call this expansive national park home. Bring a camera to memorialize what is sure to be an unforgettable trip!
	Return to Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
	Depart to Koro, Mali Meet the group of sesame growers that inspired LWR president and CEO John Nunes when he visited them earlier this year. You will be also as we hear about how LWR has helped them improve the quality of their organic sesame production and how they, empowered by those improvements, have used the fruits of their labor to improve their communities. Depart to Bandiagara
	On this last project visit, we’ll tour a shallot producing project where women from four communities have received training on marketing, functional literacy and have created storage solutions to maintain their shallot enterprise in a challenging economic environment. Visit Wendeguélé village and enjoy cultural dances of the Dogon people, known for the ornate carved and painted masks used in their dances
	Visit the Bandiagara Cliffs The Cliffs of Bandiagara are a sandstone chain--one of the most imposing in West Africa. Dozens of villages are located along the cliffs, such as Kani Bonzon. It was near this village that the Dogons arrived in the 14th century and from there they spread over the plateau, the escarpment and the plains of the Seno-Gondo. Travel back to Bandiagara
	Travel to Mopti We’ll spend the day in Mopti, known as the Venice of Mali for its location between the Bani and Niger rivers. While in Mopti, we will see the Komoguel mosque, the fishing port, and the bustling market where many of Mali's ethnic groups come to trade. Depart to Segou
	Travel to Bamako
	Today we’ll tour the capital and largest city in Mali, Bamako is located on the Niger river and is located near the rapids that divide the Upper and Middle Niger Valleys.  The city is also the nation’s administrative center, featuring a river port, a major trade and conference center, and is home to an ancient mud palace. Depart from Bamako airport
	Arrive at Dulles Airport

*Note: This itinerary is tentative and subject to change.

Frequent flyer miles may be earned but it is not possible to redeem them for the flights on this trip. We apologize for the inconvenience.

We hope you’ll join us on this exciting adventure! To learn more, contact Rebecca Lange-Thernes at 410-230-2737 or rthernes@lwr.org