International Association for Rural and Urban Development (IARUD) idea came into being first in Burkina Faso. This idea came in response by a group of professional men and women to directly address certain deficiencies they observed, such as the lack of children's education, the increasing number of underprivileged women, and the increasing number of homeless individuals.
Burkina Faso is in West Africa, bounded by Mali to the north, by four coastal countries, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, and Benin to the south, and Niger to the east. Burkina Faso is landlocked. Its population is about 18,000,000, with a land area of 274,000 square kilometers.
A human development report by the United Nations in 2016 indicated Burkina Faso was the fourth lowest standard of living, ranking 185th out of 188 countries. The founders of IARUD made it the association's mission to address this situation in a very effective way at the local grassroots level. The organization started the first program of children's education because education investment is the key to reducing poverty.
IARUD 's mission is to eliminate poverty and homelessness and improve the overall quality of life through education and affordable housing. The education efforts focus on the most needful members of the urban and rural population. These are primarily children, at-risk young adults, homeless people, and underprivileged women.
IARUD's efforts are to give:
- general education to the children
- vocational training, household homemaking skills for underprivileged women
- affordable housing and better conditions of living for homeless people.
Our vision is to take any action of general interest that can contribute to the development and progress of rural and urban communities in developing countries and the world. We want to see that the communities we serve have the capacity to meet their basic human needs sustainably.
It began as a local effort in Burkina Faso to address unacceptable conditions of living, but since, the focus has widened considerably. As a result, IARUD's footprint is massive and now reaches into five African countries presently. They are Burkina Faso, Mali, Benin, Togo, and Ghana. All five countries share similar conditions due to climate, economy, and other harmful factors.
The purpose of IARUD is to contribute to the development and progress of rural and urban communities, particularly in developing countries and the world. To fulfill this purpose, on September 4th, 2016, IARUD USA was created and incorporated as a Nonprofit Organization in Colorado, USA. IARUD has continued to make a difference in serving needy people with the help of our donors and volunteers that make our mission possible. Through all these years, IARUD's purpose remains the same: advocate change through action. Our efforts will result in a better world.
Lolo Tisseglo
President and Founder
IARUD
1031 33rd Street, Suite 174
Denver, CO 80205 USA
