ECHOcommunity Member Profile: Pastor Florentin

This week's blog post is from guest writer Robert Sanou. Robert is the director of the ECHO West Africa Regional Impact Center in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. 

The pastor who brings change in his environment

It was an afternoon of March that I received a call from Pastor Florentin. His name reminded me nothing; but he told me he had participated in the forum of ECHO in January 2015 in Ouagadougou. He invited me to come and see the fruit of "your job."

In Africa this phrase has two meanings:

• Either that you did a good job and you come see the beautiful fruit
• Or that you have not worked well and you will also see the consequences.

But he assured me that it was a good job.

ECHO forum has opened more his eyes on gardening and he wanted us to come and see the difference.

Pastor Florentin lives in Zangoma at about 65kms from Bobo-Dioulasso the second city of the country.

The pastor met us at the roadside before leading us in his garden. The garden is almost one hectare. He has produced onions, cabbage and zucchini. A very beautiful garden, with vegetables in very good shape.

Florentin says he participated in the forum of ECHO through a scholarship He has been practicing gardening since but the forum was a beautiful opportunity to better understand the work of the garden and the interest of a garden.

We were very amazed by the beauty of the fields; He had still not begun harvesting but he was expecting a good sale in this year.

Florentin has also encouraged the members of his Church to the gardens. After his garden, he leads us in gardens of members of his Church.

Beyond the Church, Florentin shares his knowledge of gardening with the people of his village.

This is exactly the spirit of sharing of ECHO.

How about you?

Robert shares this success story with the ECHOcommunity in order to highlight the great work that small-scale farmers are doing in his part of the world.

Do you have a story to share? Each week we publish what's happening in the ECHOcommunity: your story about a success, challenge or even failure will help to encourage others around the world. Send us your stories at stories@echocommunity.org