THE WAY WE THINK

       NATURACORPS  /  DALMATES SENSE FRONTERES 

Interview with Aline Sennegon, president of the humanitarian organisation, by the Andorran national TV channel.  

 NATURACORPS is a commercial business of biological cosmetics, created to help the children to schooling, and sustain the economic development of the region of Sanguié, in Burkina Faso, West Africa. The DALMATES SENSE FRONTERES NGO helps groups of women in the processing and manufacturing of shea butter in Burkina, and argan oil in Morocco. These products come from solidarity work, and all come from sustainable fair trade . We do not have any intermediaries and work directly on the field with the women’s collectives.

The association “DALMATES SENSE FRONTERES” has already             schooled nearly 150 young orphans and children in need, and               helps women to value their work in order to provide them with               financial autonomy.

In collaboration with NATURACORPS Entreprise, we work for the           economic development of this whole region.

Interview with the President, Mrs Aline Sennegon

Q – How was the Association “Dalmates Sense Fronteres” born?

Aline S. – The Association “Dalmates Sense Fronteres” or, in English“Dalmatians Without Borders” was born after a trip to Burkina Faso almost 20 years ago, in West Africa, animated by joy, the passion for life, the eagerness tolearn…

And I found the keys to happiness: share, help, communicate and live free.

This trip to Africa taughtme two valuable lessons : Firstly,  to work on your inner self so get you get to know yourself better. And secondly, to take care of others. My destiny healed me and guided my steps. I wrote, cried and loved to be present in this vast world full of emotions, Shadow and Light. To feel this infinite joy: the gift and the action. Faith and persistenceare my allies, everything is easier with them!

The Universe offers us many facets, to harmonise, anchor and dance in the Light. Little by little, my mission was taking place, my heart was growing, the marks of wounds were disappearing. Compassion inhabited me, joy existed … It was in 1997!

Africa has given me the opportunity to make this inner journey, to overcome my fears, to access the world of ideas. To understand that certain realities are forms of illusions, which can object to knowledge. Driven by a strong desire to excel, I am certain to find the bridge between these worlds, I let go, too curious, impossible to back down or stop in this discovery, subjugated by an unconditional strength to love and give. Life offers me, without my doubting what is appropriate to do. I listen to my heart and pray in the hope of being a Mother one day.

I visit the country, looking for the place where the Children “wait for me”, go through the complications of life abroad without knowing nor doubting the Way; Feeling infinite resources and joy, I arrive at REO. I’m introduced to good people, I fall in love with this village, the children around me are intrigued by the fact that I am white. The people around me kept saying  “Nassara, Nassara the Welcome” (Nassara means White) to me. I dreamed awake; I love, I arrived!

 I discovered step by step Burkina-Faso and its villagers, their traditions. I could feel their difficulty to live with so little, I realised the importance of believing, that tomorrow the rain would flood the fields, to better days. Never give up…. I met exceptional characters, so present, active and creative.

In the evening, at sunset, the song of birds will serve as an orchestra for men of knowledge, telling their ancestral history as a living library. I listen and do not lose a word. I feel the vibration of my heart align with theirs.

Wise and respected, these men perpetuate their customs. The Blacksmith, ancestral craft, the bronzier, the work of women, the collection of shea nuts, the spinning of cotton, the pottery without mold and the unique piece, charm every moment. The Griots are here too. I am amazed by the diversity in all these Arts! I am seduced by this country.

 The very little children, watch you and make you want to help, to love and to share. They have a small round belly due to malnutrition. Kindness and dignity are their strength. The Red Earth teaches you, forges you … Then Africa and all its LIFE gets you back into the guts and will not let you go. She is part of you!

To live in the moment, besides the magic word in Africa it is “Presently there”. In the West, we learn the Moment present. There, people live every moment at its fullest!

There is also in the presence of silence, which says so much, the suffering that drives the will to get out of it.

The consequences of the lack of access to water and essential services such as hygiene or sanitation, cause populations to suffer from shortcomings, which will have catastrophic consequences in their lives.

We had the opportunity to install a water pump in the school of Sandié, in the bush, it serves the schoolchildren and all the villagers.

My God! What Force did I encounter on this Earth, where Women, Children and Men must survive their destiny?

This people is strong, their Women are strong, they taught me resistance and perseverance …, THANK YOU!            

Q – Why Africa?

Aline S. –A chance, or a Force, guided my steps!

I dreamed of freedom. One day I was invited to Burkina Faso, by the “Poètes sans frontières” (Poets Without Borders) organisation, to make a photo-documentary  on a school it had built in Kokologho.

Africa, the Continent of Arts and Traditions, and Children. Especially Children; My husband and I could not give life for eight years. Yes ! Life has its reasons well hidden, and right in their place. It is in these looks of Children, mirror of the Soul, that by the will and strength of thought, I knew that I will give life to my daughter Cristal one day.

An association of Fraternity, an atypical path, “A step towards Happiness” is the title of my current book, could only be born at the same time, where I was wearing LIFE.

Q – What are the objectives and the aim of your organisation?

Aline S. –

A number of relatively diverse goals are coming together in our Association, but their diversity is generating a very beneficial synergy between them.

– To bring our Help to the less fortunate children, our knowledge and experiences.

– Provide instruction, schooling, apprenticeship for the jobs they want to do

– Raise villagers’ awareness to racial non-discrimination.

– To contribute to the economic development of the Sanguié Region, by creating jobs.

– Assist women’s groups in the village, facilitate their work by buying the necessary materials for them.

– To Export Natural Products like Shea Butter and other vegetable oils …

Q – How to concretise the actions of “Dalmates Sense Fronteres” with school structures or students?

Aline S. –Voluntary interventions are carried out in schools, through computer equipment and their applications as a “power point”, “videos” and “conferences”. The Andorran or European children react well, they are especially surprised and usually want to know more and exchange with the African children. Andorran children especially want to help other kids.

 Western children propose to send water to Africa, it’s childish but healthy! pencils, they say they have enough, school equipment, shoes …

Curiosity and sincerity animate their heart, they are not yet caught in the unfortunately selfish system in which we live in!

This approach allows children to understand the importance of solidarity and projects come to life! 

Q – Where is the field of action? what are the actions carried out?

 Aline S. –Our Field of Action is located in REO in a bush village, 120 km south of Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso. Since 1999, our Association has been twinned with the Local Association ” Amis des Enfants Démunis” (“Friends of the less fortunate Children”), whose President is Eugène Bamouni, a primary school director in Sandié. We work together and with mutual trust.

 Following our interventions, in Andorran schools:

Conferences, exhibitions and slideshows, we collect material, books, computers, clothes, shoes, etc., which we send to Eugene Bamouni, our local correspondent in Réo Burkina-Faso by container.

The participation of students from the “Comte de Foix” High School in Andorra in 2008 allowed the Sandié School in Burkina Faso to benefit from a water pump, a library, computers and training for Burkinabé Learners given by Andorran students.

Students of the IUT of Commerce of Lyon and students of Andorra, went to Burkina in July 2018, to discover, see and collaborate with “Dalmates Sense Fronteres” in the scope of helping NATURACORPS Company to develop a “Fair, social and socially sustainable” market.

We organise in Andorra and in Europe several projects like

Conferences, Fairs, ART-DÉCO exhibitions about West Africa.

In addition, since October 2017, following a grant from the “Govern of Andorra” we are building two buildings such as:

– Acommunity-centrewith Arts training and a literacy room dedicated to art training (Weaving, Organic Cotton, Sewing, Batiks, Bronze Work etc …) and a Literacy Room. This community-centreis built on our associative land, which was offered to us, during my first trip to Burkina, by a Sage of the Village sector 4 at REO. We have a well, fruit trees, a nursery, a lodgeand a shelter for the plants.

We sell directly from our nursery, trees, plants, medicinal plants, fruits and vegetables. This economy already allows us a certain autonomy and facilitates the advancement of the construction of the Training Center.

–A workshop-laboratory for processing nuts from the shea tree into shea butter, and other vegetable oils.

Eugene Bamouni, also works for Green Africa and Ecology, with the Association “Friends of Nature” on a protected site, with an experimental garden. We are moving hand in hand for an ecological and sustainable collaboration of the territory.

The work of the Center-College is almost finished, we hope soon to receive our “Learners” in our premises!

A big THANK YOU to the Andorran Govern and to all the peoplewho have contributedto this beautiful Humanitarian adventure, . Nothing could have ever happened without their valuable help.

Aline S. and her collaborators

Dalmates Humanitarian Trips 

“Dalmates Voyages” will welcome you, during your next stays in the “Country of Integrity”, Burkina-Faso.

 In the frame of Volunteering and of Green Tourism, DALMATES VOYAGES organises trips in the “Heart of the villages in  Burkina-Faso“. Discovery after discovery, these “beginners” trips will inspire you.

 Through meetings and exchanges with our friends in Burkina Faso, you will feel that something escapes us: Time!

 Time has another value, the classic control of it is no longer valid. You will first be asked to put down your watches, diaries and suitcases. The start of this adventure will surprise you!

 We have a few years of experience in this kind of trips, (groups, students, friends etc.), guided by Eugène Bamouni and myself.

These trips are à la carte, according to the conveniences of the group.

 At Réo, in our village, we will be housed in houses built in hard single-storey with several ventilated rooms, mosquito nets on the windows and garden, in a very nice and pleasant, “in the heart of the village” close to the market that has place three days a week. We will do our little food shopping together, to meet and talk with the villagers.

In Burkina the official language is French, more than sixty ethnic groups live together in a serene and free spirit. At Réo, we will meet the Gourounsis and their local whistle language: Léllé

Under the shade of the mango trees, you will meet with the women who sell “Dolo”, a local beer made with millet, the same cereal used in the “TÔ” national dish of Burkina Faso.

The beautiful landscapes will attract your attention, the pools with sacred crocodiles of Sabou (Lacoste does not exist in Burkina), the wild elephants of Boromo, near the Mouhoun river in the bush, you will be taken to other areas … Africa is a blend of paradoxes made  of joy and sadness simultaneously.

Some tears may come up during the trip. Nevertheless, this trip is a wonderful balance between beauty  and reality.

You can expect to see in the bush barefoot children coming out nowhere, with their trays placed on the head, loaded with fruit and candies with sesame.

In a burst of love, union and fraternity, the world will be ONE.

Aline and her team

Join us soon to share these intense moments that will make you grow!

Thank you LIFE for enabling me to communicate my faith, my passion for HUMANITY.