Who We Are

The Foundation

 

The Friends of Rimkieta Foundation (FAR) was founded in May 2007 by José Vidal, Juan Carlos Vázquez-Dodero, Mercè Casanovas, Fernando Infiesta and María Vázquez-Dodero. It had already functioned as an association from 2004 with the opening of a small nursery school and a well under the guidance and initiative of Montse and Luis Riba.

Our spirit of indefinite presence and total commitment to Rimkieta takes shape in the various activities and initiatives we undertake with the aim of covering basic necessities and improving the quality of life of its inhabitants.

Board

 

The Friends of Rimkieta Foundation is managed by a group of business people and professionals.

  • Honorary President posthumously: José Vidal Royo, textile industry entrepreneur
  • Honorary Patron posthumously awarded: Sergi Leiva, Executive
  • Executive President: Juan Carlos Vázquez-Dodero,
    Emeritus professor at IESE
  • Member, Secretary and Manager in Burkina Faso: María Vázquez-Dodero
  • Members:
    • Mercè Casanovas, speech therapist and professor at Ramon Llull University
    • Fernando Infiesta, business executive
    • Carmen Silla Vidal, business executive
    • Xavi Casas, business executive

Supervisory Committee:

  • Jorge Calvin, executive
  • Mercè Casanovas, speech therapist and professor at Ramon Llull University
  • Xavi Casas, executive
  • Fernando Infiesta, executive
  • Bea Mor, analytics consultant
  • Eva Morcillo, court procurator
  • María Sancho Silla, social worker
  • Carmen Silla Vidal, executive
  • Juan Carlos Vázquez-Dodero, Profesor Emérito del IESE

Our Mission

 

The Friends of Rimkieta Foundation* (FAR)’s mission is to achieve the best possible living conditions in and around the neighborhood of Rimkieta (a suburb of Burkina Faso’s capital, Ouagadougou) principally for its women and children, and especially in relation to their education, nutrition and health, as well as the social and professional promotion of women.

Our philosophy of action is business-minded and transparent, in order to implement solutions in accordance with the area’s social, cultural and environmental realities, with an almost entirely local staff.

* Private foundation registered on November 8, 2007 and inscribed in the Registry of Foundations: Dirección General de Derecho y Entidades Jurídicas de la Generalitat de Catalunya (Departamento de Justicia) with the number 2.505.

Principles of Conduct

Everyone who forms part of the Foundation shares a philosophy and values that reflect FAR’s essence and determine our way of working. FAR’s activities began in the fall of 2004 and are governed by the following principles, which are faithfully fulfilled:

“A euro here, a euro in Burkina.”

Each euro donated is used entirely for the projects carried out in Rimkieta. This is possible due to the fact that all institutional and infrastructure expenses are fully assumed by the foundation’s patrons and by donations specifically for this purpose. Furthermore, we maintain a patrimonial fund in order to guarantee this principle’s sustainability.

FAR hopes to remain permanently in the neighborhood of Rimkieta and its surroundings.  The area is so large, so populated and so extremely poor that it’s impossible to guess when it might be considered “developed.” Our motto is “keep on.”

“To keep up more than to take up.  Permanent commitment.”

“Local team”

FAR aims to provide employment and develop its employees in Rimkieta and its surrounding area. Thus we hire almost exclusively local people, who are managed with some support from headquarters.

Focused and people-oriented, with a decision-making system that is agile for direct management and overseen by the Board.

“We want to be a simple organization.”

“We control the results.”

FAR has a rigorous work method:

 

  • Every project is selected by the Board.
  • The annual budget is revised and approved every three months by the Board.
  • The projects report information to Spain weekly or monthly, with budgetary control every three months.
  • The manager lives in Ouagadougou and the Board members travel to Burkina Faso several times a year to oversee the projects and the institutional relations.

FAR regularly reports on its projects’ progress to Friends, Sponsors and Patrons.

FAR’s accounts are audited since its foundation and it complies rigorously with the demands of both Spanish and Burkinabe Public Administrations.

“Prompt and truthful accountability.”

“We look for professional and committed volunteers.”

The salaried infrastructure of FAR must be minimal.  We encourage and accept lasting professional help in all necessary areas, always within the scope of clear and concrete objectives overseen by management.

 

Local Team

Almost the entire FAR team in Rimkieta is Burkinabe. FAR constantly aims to train and better its employees, without whose work and dedication, FAR would not be possible.

Mme. BAKIONO/BACARDIT María

Attached to Management in Burkina and Project Manager.

M. BALIMA Sidiki

Tree planting assistant.

Mme. BAMBARA Rihanata

Head of the “Valencia” preschool.

Mme. BAMOGO Awa

Head Teacher of the “Valencia” preschool.

M. BASSILA Babou

Tree planting assistant and tree watering supervisor.

Mme. BELA Rosine

Head Teacher of the “Valencia” preschool.

Mme. BELA Sylviane Estelle

Project Manager: (i) Microcredits, (ii) School scholarships, (iii) Primary school tutoring, (iv) Wells, (v) Bicycles, and (vi) Ophthalmological interventions.

Mme. BELEM Valery

Woman from the Zongo garden, project supervisor.

M. BOUDA W. Cyrille

Tree planting assistant and irrigation supervisor.

Mme. BOUDO Elisabeth

Responsible for monitoring and supervision of the girls enrolled in the “Education for Out-of-School Girls” project.

M. BOLY Constant

Third Deputy to Management in Burkina Faso and Project Manager.

Mme. COMPAORE Haoua

Teacher at the “Valencia” preschool.

M. COMPAORE Mady

Responsible for monitoring and supervision of children in training workshops under the “Training and Reintegration of Street Children” project.

Mme. COMPAORE Rosalie

Responsible for monitoring and supervision of girls in training workshops under the “Education for Out-of-School Girls” project. 

 

Mme. DIABRE Halimata

Responsible for monitoring and supervision of the girls enrolled in the “Education for Out-of-School Girls” project.

M. GUINGUERE Sibiri François

Night guard at the “Valencia” preschool and the FAR office.

 

M. GUIRO Kalizeta

Sales Manager of the Cereal Bank. 

M. ILBOUDO Yembila

Weekend guard at the “Valencia” preschool and the FAR office.

M. KABORE Jean Baptiste

Responsible for monitoring and supervision of the children enrolled in the “Training and Reintegration of Street Children” project.

Mme. KABORE Léonie

Head cook.

Mme. KABORE Wango Rosalie

Head teacher at the “Valencia” preschool and in charge of mothers’ literacy.

Mme. KOALA/VAZQUEZ-DODERO María

Manager in Burkina Faso.

Mme. NACOULMA Topoko

Responsible for training the girls at FAR under the “Education for Out-of-School Girls” project.

Mme. NANA W. Diane

Teacher at the “Valencia” preschool.

Mme. NIKIEMA Rosiene

Head teacher at the “Valencia” preschool.

 

Mme. OUEDRAOGO Desirée

Teacher at the “Valencia” preschool.

Mme. OUEDRAOGO Justine

Head teacher at the “Valencia” preschool.

Mme. OUEDRAOGO Odette Aicha

Assistant to the principal of the “Valencia” preschool.

Mme. OUEDRAOGO Sonia Valerie

Teacher at the “Valencia” preschool.

Mme. OUEDRAOGO Zanna

Cleaning supervisor.

M. OUEDRAOGO S Marcelin

Tree planting assistant and irrigation supervisor.

Mme. OUEDRAOGO Juliette

Teacher at the “Valencia” preschool.

Mme. OUINDSOURI Habibou

Teacher at the “Valencia” preschool.

M. OUINDSOURI Jacques

Second Deputy to Management in Burkina Faso and Project Manager.

M. SAWADOGO Amade

Responsible for monitoring and supervision of children in training workshops under the “Training and Reintegration of Street Children” project.

Mme. SONDO Guédalia

Project Manager of the “Education for Out-of-School Girls” project.

Mme. SORE Alimata

Teacher at the “Valencia” preschool.

Mme. SORE Alizeta

Head teacher at the “Valencia” preschool.

 

Mme. SOUILI Mariette

Kitchen assistant.

Mme. SOURWEINA Sarata

Teacher at the “Valencia” preschool.

M. TAO Moumouni

Responsible for monitoring and supervision of the children enrolled in the “Training and Reintegration of Street Children” project.

M. TIONO Soulemane

Accountant.

M. TOE Hyacinthe

Responsible for training the children at FAR under the “Training and Reintegration of Street Children” project and coach for the “Training through Sports Coaching” project.

Mme. TONDE Jacqueline

Head teacher at the “Valencia” preschool.

 

Mme. TRAORE Korotomou

Head teacher of the “Valencia” preschool.

M. YANDA Isaaka

Project Manager of the “Training and Reintegration of Street Children” project.

Mme. YARO Orokia

Kitchen assistant.

Mme. ZAGRE P. Adeline

Teacher at “Valencia” preschool

Mme. ZONGO Marceline

Teacher at the “Valencia” preschool.

 

Mme. ZOUNGRANA Odile

Kitchen assistant.

Women’s group

In charge of WATER SALES and MAINTENANCE of the “Jeanología 1, 2, and 3” wells in Zongo.

Transparencia

La FAR informa puntualmente del estado de sus proyectos a sus Amigos, Padrinos y Patronos, mediante un blog de la Gerencia en Rimkieta, y cada año son bienvenidos a una reunión de rendición de cuentas.

La FAR está auditada contablemente desde su fundación, y cumple rigurosamente con las exigencias de la Administración Pública española y burkinabé. Ver cada Informe de Auditoría:2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017,2018,2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 y 2025 de la FAR.

Contact

Madrazo, 96 Entresuelo D

08021, Barcelona

Tel +34 932 050 458

rimkieta@amigosderimkieta.org

rimkieta.artnou.com

https://www.instagram.com/amigosderimkieta/

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