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Belpre church’s Makers Market supports school mission in Burkina Faso

By Gwen Sour 3 min read

BELPRE -- Handmade goods, holiday decorations and a few feathered visitors helped bring people together Saturday at Pioneer Presbyterian Church to support a school mission in Burkina Faso.

The church's Makers Market benefited Building a Better Burkina, a mission that has supported school construction, teachers' housing and water wells in the West African country.

Donna Gaston, who helped start the church's connection with the community more than two decades ago, said the mission's next project is building 30 shops. Rental income from the shops would help support the school while providing space for villagers to earn a living.

The church is working toward a $30,000 fundraising goal for the project, Gaston said. The builder has agreed to construct the shops in phases, allowing work to proceed as money becomes available.

Saturday marked the church's first Makers Market, with about 22 vendors participating, Gaston said. The event grew from a mission committee member's offer to organize a new fundraiser.

Along with vendors, the market featured a drawing for donated prizes and a silent auction. Gaston said each vendor contributed an item for the drawing.

Among those selling their creations was LouAnn Snyder of Little Hocking, whose offerings included holiday decor and mugs.

"The lady who heads this asked me," Snyder said. "I typically just do the Warren craft show, and I was worried about having enough stuff, but I think it'll all work out now that I'm here."

Visitors also had an opportunity to pet chickens and take pictures with them, thanks to Olivia Nguyen, a sixth grader at Veritas Classical Academy.

Olivia brought three chickens from her home. She said she started a chicken club after missing chickens that had lived at the school.

After getting permission to have chickens, Olivia announced the club at school before telling her mother she had volunteered her to help run it.

"We take care of the chickens and all that stuff," Olivia said.

The school has about 13 chickens, she said, and students sell their eggs at a farm stand in front of the school.

For Gaston, the mission behind Saturday's market began with a much smaller gift: an Operation Christmas Child shoebox.

A 14-year-old boy in Burkina Faso received a box Gaston had packed with her name and address inside. His teacher wrote her a thank-you note, beginning a correspondence that developed into a lasting relationship.

As Gaston learned about conditions at the school, she brought the needs to her church. A $500 donation provided the first money for the effort.

Since then, Gaston said, supporters have sent more than $750,000 to help the community. Projects have included the school, housing for teachers, water wells and a shipment of bicycles, classroom furniture, books, gardening supplies, food and clothing.

Gaston was among six people who traveled there in 2009, spending 12 days meeting the families and seeing the work firsthand.

She said the mission has continued through donations, fundraisers and responses to an annual newsletter.

"We never know where the money is going to come from, but He's always provided," Gaston said.

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