APS

APS bases its practices of sustainable development on participation, training, capacity building, social mobilization and, in particular, on meaningful exchanges between APS and its local partners. These exchanges allow both partners to learn:

• to better understand and appreciate themselves through work and effort
• to better understand the natural and socio-economic environments in which they work
• to define and elaborate a programme of action for themselves, one based on their most important needs
• to appreciate, evaluate and redirect a programme of action in order to achieve a common goal

APS believes that success must be defined by this method, which in principle can only be applied on a small scale. It is still necessary for the long term that an activity designed for a small scale should be conceived with the entire planet in mind. “think globally and act locally”.

For APS, the participative method and the method of social mobilisation demand a longer project timeframe, because at each stage, all partners must negotiate to decide on the steps to take in moving to the next stage.

Development encompasses all aspects of the cultural, social, economic, environmental and even political life of every individual. And in countries with literacy rates as low as Burkina Faso’s, sufficient time must be invested in education, literacy training and grassroots social mobilization:

• awareness through the provision of adequate and pertinent
• education through proper training
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• social mobilisation
• social organisation< /li>
• project planning and support through execution
• creation of an entire programme devoted to building literacy in young children, with an emphasis on girls
• support of local capacities

Overall, we must invest in people instead of in giving charity and food aid. We must invest for the long term, in order to allow our grassroots partners to achieve self-sufficience rather than help them throughout their lifetimes.