- Burkina Faso -

Burkina Faso is a landlocked country in Western Africa.  It borders Benin, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Mali, Niger and Togo

Population: estimated 18.6 million (2016)

Life expectancy at birth: 58 years

Level of corruption: ranked by Transparency International as 76 out of 168 countries

Average salary: $56 a month

Risk assessment: 

- A very uncertain political and economic outlook and a business environment with many troublesome weaknesses;

- An economy highly exposed to meteorological conditions.

Source: Global Edge

Bronze Statuettes made with Lost wax Technique

Issouf Bonkoungou, bronze artist from Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso, uses the lost wax technique to model his beautiful bronze statuettes. He prepares clay by mixing it with donkey manure for the mould. Then he sculpts the piece in wax, puts the clay around it and places support on the mould. The wax is heated and recovered and molten bronze poured into the mould. The mould is then broken, and the long process of finishing and polishing the piece begins.