Ouagadougou: National news was marked last week by the holding of the International Cotton and Textile Exhibition (SICOT). The third of its kind, the event took place on January 26 and 27, 2024 in Koudougou. The theme chosen is: ‘Local cotton processing: what industrialization models for Africa within the framework of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA)?’
The demonstration was attended by the head of state, Captain Ibrahim Traoré. On the occasion, President Traoré reiterated his ‘commitment to support and accompany any initiative involving all stakeholders in the cotton value chain and aimed at the local processing of cotton in Burkina Faso and throughout Africa’.
SICOT 2024 comes at a time when initiatives aimed at promoting the traditional loincloth, the Faso danfani, are legion. As an illustration, the recent decision at the University to replace the usual togas made from imported fabrics with those made from Faso danfani. The launching ceremony of the new unique gown of higher education ins
titutions in Faso danfan took place on November 28, 2023, at the University of Prof. Joseph KI-ZERBO in Ouagadougou. Before that, there was the government measure to have schools wear the Faso danfani. Indeed, the Burkinabè government decided, on June 9, 2023, in the Council of Ministers, to wear the Faso danfani, in all public and private post-primary and secondary education establishments in certain urban municipalities. It appears that the measure is intended to be non-binding and progressive. It should be effective from the start of the 2023-2024 school year. To begin with, four pilot municipalities are concerned. These are the urban communes of Koudougou, Bobo-Dioulasso and Ouagadougou, as well as the rural commune of Sabou. Through this measure, the government intends to cultivate the wearing of the traditional loincloth from a young age. It also wants to promote the production and consumption of local fabrics with a view to endogenous development in Burkina Faso. What could be more normal than that the
majority of Burkinabè people welcomed the government decision. There were practically no protests, at least open ones. However, four months after the measurement came into force, the findings are striking. While some establishments have implemented it, others are still dragging their feet. There is no shortage of arguments to explain the slowness of application. Those of the arguments that come up most often relate to the availability and accessibility of the loincloth. Regarding the cost, it must be recognized that for certain parents of students with modest incomes, the wearing of Faso danfani, especially by a student, can be considered a luxury, if indeed the prices of Faso danfani, the real, remain what we know . To remedy this reality, certain school leaders have developed initiatives. These aim to allow parents of students to be able to make the Faso danfani outfit available to their children. This is the case of a school in Bobo-Dioulasso where the promoter declares having subsidized the farcloths to t
he tune of 1000 CFA each for the first willing students. Everything that has enabled a good number of students to acquire the outfit and wear it every Monday, as stipulated in the implementing text.For his part, the President of the special delegation (PDS) of Sabou, in the Center-West region, said he had resorted to a call for donations which made it possible to have more than 300 Faso danfani farcloths, to more than one and a half million CFA francs, for the benefit of internally displaced students, orphaned and other vulnerable students. These are initiatives that can be duplicated in many other schools, in order to overcome the difficulties of access to the Faso danfani farcloth for the benefit of students.
In any case, if we want the wearing of the traditional woven loincloth made in Burkina Faso to become widespread in schools, it is appropriate to continue promotion and awareness, while adding initiatives in this direction.
Source: Burkina Information Agency