Ousmane SIDIBÉ is a dedicated pigeon enthusiast in Burkina Faso. From humble beginnings with Indian peacocks to expanding his collection to include breeds like the "King" and "Mondains," Ousmane's journey exemplifies perseverance and passion.
Alongside Ousmane, his wife also contributes to caring for the pigeons when he's not present. According to him, pigeon breeders face challenges ranging from weather sensitivities to shifting mentalities towards the practice in Burkina Faso.
Discover the story of Ousmane as he endeavours to elevate the status of his craft and challenges prevailing perceptions.
Alongside Ousmane, his wife also contributes to caring for the pigeons when he's not present. According to him, pigeon breeders face challenges ranging from weather sensitivities to shifting mentalities towards the practice in Burkina Faso.
Discover the story of Ousmane as he endeavours to elevate the status of his craft and challenges prevailing perceptions.
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Court métrageTranscription
00:00 Psychologically, for Burkinabé, the pigeons are the children,
00:04 where everyone gives a couple to their little child in the courtyard.
00:08 So today, it's a challenge for us to change the mentality in relation to this vision.
00:14 I started with Indian bread, then a couple of Segolis,
00:25 and I took it with my brother. As time went on, it started to spread.
00:31 So I integrated other races, such as the King, the Mondain, the Bulans,
00:38 the Voyageurs today, and the Texans.
00:41 The price varies according to certain criteria, such as the size,
00:48 but also certain parameters, such as the disposition of the legs, and so on.
00:53 For Mondain, the price varies between 120,000 and 180,000.
00:59 For the King, the price varies between 60,000 and 125,000.
01:06 For the Voyageurs, the price varies between 15,000 and 30,000.
01:11 It's an ornamental production.
01:13 When we take Mondain, Texans, and Kings,
01:18 we don't draw the transformation, because they're already very expensive for the essentials.
01:25 But we have races such as Segolis,
01:31 which we can afford to eat.
01:34 I accompany my husband in this field at several levels,
01:43 because I take care of the pigeons when he's not there.
01:48 In the morning, when I get up, I check if there's water.
01:51 I put the food in, I look if there's a small problem,
01:55 for example, a disease, and I give him the point when he comes back.
02:00 It's become a passion for me, because I'm here at all times.
02:05 I come in, I watch.
02:12 It's a very sensitive sector, to rain and freshness.
02:17 So, in the rainy season, there's humidity and freshness,
02:22 and diseases develop, such as variole.
02:25 You can get a scissor today, and the next day it'll die.
02:29 But since it's more driven by passion,
02:32 we have the courage to always start from scratch,
02:35 when the losses are extreme.
02:38 But I would also say that it has a psychological impact.
02:41 Every morning, when I come in here, before going to work,
02:44 it's the same day.
02:46 In the evening, even if you have a bad day,
02:49 you come back, you spend your time here, you think of something else.
02:52 On the day of departure, it's too risky to say
02:55 that the breeding of pigeons feeds on Burkina Faso's name,
02:59 because the level of development of Burkina Faso's Colombian culture
03:03 is not the same as in countries like Senegal and Mali,
03:07 where people left the public service to focus on that.
03:11 So, today, it's a challenge for us to change our mentality
03:16 in relation to this vision,
03:18 and especially that this type of breeding is taking our place
03:22 in the market through the introduction of ornamental subjects and others,
03:27 which have also helped to raise the level of Colombian culture.
03:31 (Music)
03:37 (Music)
03:42 (upbeat music)