Another week has gone by, and the rains have finally become fairly regular. This is very good news for the fields, but it makes travelling much more difficult.
Near Bobo, there is a deviation where the road is being rebuilt. With its sharp bends and poor surface, trucks regularly tip over and block the road. Yesterday, some of our staff travelling to the LAP needed three hours just to get through this section on the way there — and another hour and a half on the way back.
Road safety
Motorbikes are by far the most common means of transport in Burkina Faso. There are more than 4 million motorbikes, compared with roughly 400,000 cars. More than 1,000 people died in road accidents in 2025, and motorcyclists account for a very large share of road casualties.
A few months ago, the government launched a major road-safety campaign to encourage people to wear helmets. Since 1 August, enforcement of the helmet requirement has been stepped up. Many riders have already changed their habits. Those stopped without a helmet may be turned back, and from 1 September fines of 5 euro are expected to be applied more systematically. The requirement also applies to passengers.
For cars, Ouagadougou introduced a camera-based e-ticketing system on 1 August 2026. It currently targets four offences: running a red light, not wearing a seat belt, using a handheld phone while driving, and speeding. The vehicle owner receives an SMS with details of the offence and instructions for payment. Fines are generally in the range of 15 euro.
There are also plans to extend camera-based enforcement to motorbikes. This goes hand in hand with the requirement for motorbikes to be registered and carry a number plate.
Back to the Sipigui gardening project
Before harvesting the peanuts in the garden, the women had already started an onion nursery. As soon as the peanuts were harvested, the onion seedlings were ready to be transplanted. It is very encouraging to see this kind of forward planning: one crop is already being prepared before the previous one has even left the field.
Gardening project in Sipigui
A few pictures from the week
Honey orders are shipped once a week
Cinnamon apple in our yard
Sayings of the week
“If the realm of ideas is revolutionized, reality cannot remain as it is.” – G.W.F. Hegel
“Humanity is for itself both its worst enemy and its best chance.” – Patrick Viveret
Have a good week,
Hervé