Humanitarian action
Humanitarian Spirulina

Fight against malnutrition and disease in Burkina Faso with SpirulinaEvery year 11 million infants die of malnutrition.

Malnutrition is not an inescapable misfortune, contrary to some popular beliefs. There are local remedies available in Burkina, which do not lead to dependence on the rich countries.

How does a child come to suffer from malnutrition?

Often the switch from breast-milk (severance) to poor food takes place abruptly, when a new infant is born. There is also the psychological impact on the elder child.

There is a food shortage in the tie-over period, when harvests are insufficient (from June to October in Western Sahara). The mother is often ignorant of nutritional needs and therefore provides little variation in the food. The child is fed the same cereal, the same sauce twice a day and given no fruit, meat or fish.

Health effects

During the six first months, when the child is breast-fed, there is generally no difficulty and the child is lively and happy. Then the problems set in. As the breast milk is replaced by cooked meals, the child’s weight gain slows down. At 12 months the weight does often not reach 9 kg. From 12 to 18 months, the weight curve can take different turns, depending upon the nutritional value of post severance food.


Thinness, general loss of muscle mass, visible, protruding rib cage, hollow eyes, nervousness but strong appetite, very low weight. The age/weight ratio is in the red zone (underweight). The general aspect is that of a small elderly person. It is fairly easy to restore the health of such children, because they will take food, but their weight gain is slow.


Here the child will have oedemas on both lower and upper limbs, skin lesions, a pale and puffy face, bloated belly, thin, reddish and brittle hair and in some cases sore eyes. The child looks peevish, has no appetite and is difficult to feed. In addition it might suffer from diarrhoea and infections affecting lungs and skin. The child is often anaemic and has a vitamin and mineral deficiency (vitamin A and zinc). It refuses to take food and recovery is delicate.


In Koudougou (the third largest town of Burkina Faso, 70 000 inhabitants, average income per capita: € 30/month) there is an aquaculture farm, producing the Spirulina alga. The Koudougou establishment and the one in Lumbila have been set up to meet humanitarian needs. Part of the production is sold on the general market and the profits generated help cover the production cost for the products distributed among the poorest.

While improving your own health by a purchase of Spirulina, you also contribute to the fight against malnutrition and disease in Burkina Faso, because your money will help us bring Spirulina to the most destitute.


Offer of partnership

If you are an NGO or an association wishing to distribute Spirulina to the poorest in Burkina, or in a neighbouring country, the Spirulina farms can offer you a partnership. Our team - a supervisor, a nurse and a driver - may also help with supervising the distribution. Because here it happens that things go astray.

Summary of partnership proposals, for NGOs and associations exclusively

1. Picking up a consignment of Spirulina at the farm

2. Transport in Burkina or neighbouring country

3. Delivery to local partner or distribution under our supervision together with the local partner

4. Local follow-up during 2 weeks/ 1 month (optional)


Contact us for a detailed offer.

If you are acting as a private person, we can put you in touch with some of the existing local associations, so that you can give them financial support for various projects.