A return to education in Burkina Faso

With funding from Education Cannot Wait, UNICEF and its strategic partners are helping girls and boys regain the security of learning through skills training, radio programs, remedial lessons and other holistic supports .

By Kent Page

In the West African nation of Burkina Faso, school closures affect the education of approximately 820,000 children. Hunger, armed conflict, forced displacement and other factors expose girls and boys to serious risks and derail efforts to deliver on the promises set out in the Sustainable Development Goals.

The ongoing conflict has forced as many as 5,300 schools to close and displaced around 2 million people. Families are forced from their homes, boys are at high risk of being recruited into armed groups, hundreds of girls are forced into marriage for years, and the dreams and potential of an entire generation are caught up in the line of sight.

For girls and boys who have been forced to flee violence, access to quality learning opportunities offers a glimmer of hope in a world turned upside down. With a education, children like Juliette and Amadé dare to dream again. Here, they shared their stories of hope and redemption on the front lines of one of Africa’s forgotten crises.

Despite being forced to leave her home, 14-year-old Juliette refuses to give up on her dream of becoming a teacher

“One day, we were in class, they came to take us out and we fled. We put our things on a trolley and we arrived in Barsalogho where we took the bus to go to Kaya,” says Juliette , 14 years old. “On the road, we suffered from hunger and thirst. We slept in the bush. Arriving in Korko, we would have liked to stay there but there was still insecurity, so we continued. We continued to suffer until Kaya.

When they arrived in Kaya, Juliette and her mother were lucky enough to find accommodation with friends. The house wasn’t anything fancy, but it was right next to a public school. Juliette had always dreamed of becoming a teacher, and with a school so close, her passion for learning was reignited. Thanks to a program implemented by UNICEF in coordination with the government and local partners, Juliette was able to enroll in remedial classes and is now back in school.

Since 2019, Education cannot wait (ECW), the global fund hosted by UNICEF for education in emergencies and protracted crises, has invested more than $23 million in Burkina Faso, reaching nearly 400,000 children, including 167,000 children internally displaced persons and more than 200,000 children from host communities. The investment aims to provide learning materials, train and fund teachers, build and renovate temporary learning spaces and provide other holistic supports to return girls and boys to safety and classroom safety.

“I am happy to have received this school kit because I almost sold it in the street to pay for the supplies and schooling. I want to be a teacher, to give knowledge to children. I will also have a salary to support my parents,” says Juliette.

Vocational training opens doors

Amadé, 13, suffers from a visual disability. Vocational training set him on the path to a successful career. Since birth, Amadé has had a problem with his left eye. Over the years, the situation has become worse and worse.

About a year ago, Amadé and his family fled Djibo. The town, located near the Malian border, is under constant threat and a blockade imposed by fighters linked to Al-Qaeda and Islamic State blocks access to food, health care and other essential services For more than one year. Amadé and his family managed to escape and find shelter in Ouahigouya, about 100 kilometers away.

Due to his visual impairment, Amadé has had very limited access to formal education over the years. “When I was much younger, my parents enrolled me in school. At the time, we were still in Djibo. Unfortunately, with my vision problem, I had to stop at CP1. We “We tried to treat him, but the security situation prevented it so we couldn’t continue,” said Amadé.

In June 2023, Amadé heard about an agricultural center in Ouahigouya where an initiative funded by ECW and implemented by UNICEF was providing vocational training. On the farm, Amadé now learns baking, sheep and poultry farming.

“We are taught different ways to feed the chickens and how to take care of them. We even learn how to vaccinate the chickens so they don’t get sick. But my favorite thing is raising sheep. I “I wish I could raise sheep,” he said.

Classes cover everything from sewing and renewable energy to juicing and sheep farming.

As part of the localization program described in the Grand Bargain Agreements, the investment is made on the ground by local NGOs, including Children Believe and the Diocesan Communication Center, with the support of UNICEF and funding from ECW.

Groups of 40 to 50 students per center are offered a package of three training courses. Courses cover everything from sewing, mechanics and renewable energy, to tiling, poultry farming, juicing, hairdressing and, of course, Amadé’s favorite, breeding sheep.

Amadé’s courage and determination impressed both his teachers and classmates.

“Since we started this training, he has never missed a class. When his eye hurts too much, he goes out until it calms down. I am impressed by his courage,” says his teacher Andréa Belem.

“I do my best to be among the best students. This way I will be able to get what I need to start my breeding project. And I will be able to help my parents find a solution to my eye problem.”

At the end of the three months of training, the best students will receive a starter kit. As for Amadé, he hopes to benefit from sheep to be able to start his own business.

“I do my best to be among the best students. This way I will be able to get what I need to start my breeding project. And I will be able to help my parents find a solution to my problem. a sick eye,” he explains.

A solidarity movement

More than 1,000 students have already completed the training courses, while others are receiving supports to return to school, access distance learning via radio programs and benefit from various holistic educational supports provided through the program .

They are not alone. A number of girls and boys in Burkina Faso shared their Postcards from the edge with Education Can’t Wait. They serve as a clarion call to world leaders to step up their efforts and provide urgent resources to organizations like Education Cannot Wait and UNICEF to deliver on their promises of education for all, as outlined in the sustainable development goals.

UNICEF works with partners around the world to ensure that every child has the support and opportunities they need to reach their full potential. Your contribution will make a difference. Please donate.