Development of a terra cotta cooling system and support of entrepreneurship for potters in Burkina Faso 

Since 1980, the association Burkin’Amitié has supported the development of the village of Poullalé in Burkina Faso (near Ouagadougou). Among its achievements: the construction of schools, a maternity clinic, a dispensary, well drilling and the sponsorship of over 100 Burkina Faso children by French families.

This year, the Burkin’Amitié association plans to redynamize the activity of traditional Burkina Faso potters.

The Air Liquide Foundation is providing it with assistance in the design of a terra cotta cooling system to cool the air of a room. An experiment under real-life conditions in the Poullalé maternity clinic, carried out by students at the University of Ouagadougou, will make it possible to validate the functioning of this new type of "air conditioner".

During the first half of 2010, a dozen prototypes will be fabricated by traditional local potters. This experiment's success should provide the opportunity for these potters to redynamize their economic activity, which is currently affected by the low demand for terra cotta jars.

The medium-term objective of Burkin’Amitié is to create a micro-enterprise whose goal is to fabricate, transport, install and maintain these air conditioners. In this way, the potters' activity will be strengthened by the creation of new opportunities and a market over the long term.