Enfants du Monde

Burkina Faso has been an independent state since August the 5th 1960. Located in the middle of Western Africa, Burkina Faso is in regard to its human development one of the poorest countries worldwide. According to the 2008 Human Development Report of United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), this country had a Human Development Index rank of 176 out of 177. Burkina has more than 15 million inhabitants and 56% are under 18, Burkina Faso has at least 60 different ethnic groups.

Enfants du Monde projects in Burkina Faso - Coordinator for Sahelian Africa: Tougma Téné SANKARA

Context : In the province of Sanmatenga in Burkina Faso, less than 1% of the children of stockbreeders go to school, whereas the stockbreeders, mostly Peuhl, represent about 17% of the population. Based on this observation, the NGO Anndal & Pinal has started to offer a non formal basic education programme.

This educational approach is adapted to stockbreeders needs and was developed in accordance to the government. It intends to guarantee high educational quality and to raise the level of school achievement.

Project : Anndal et Pinal (A&P), an association of Burkinabe stockbreeders, has initiated six �Shepherds Schools� for Peuhl children who never attended school or prematurely dropped out. These schools propose a non formal basic education to children from 9 to 15 years.

The educational content is adapted to their specific situation. It also introduces them to techniques of animal and vegetal production and makes them thus capable of integrating their environment and the Burkinabe society.

In 2008 about 180 students completed and finished their basic education of 4 years. School is indeed integrated in their way of life while it favours an innovation spirit among the students. Therefore it has been decided to recruit about 240 new students for another course of studies starting in 2012.

EdM's role: EdM has supported A&P in carrying out an initial analysis of the situation of education of Peuhl children before the opening of the six �Schools of the Shepherd�. It is now helping with the development of the educational programme following the principles of the �Pedagogy of the Text' as well as with the training of teachers. EdM also supports A&P in its negotiations with the government, so that A&P can take full charge of the project.

Partner: Anndal & Pinal, what means "knowledge and conscious perception" was created in 1997. It fights for the respect of local natural resources and against illiteracy, in order to enable a better cohesion of the members of breeders' organization and strengthen their operational capacities.

Context : In order to improve the schooling rate of the country and to remedy the discrepancies between formal schools and local realities, the Foundation for Community Development of Burkina Faso (FDC/BF) has launched a project of Community schools. The objective of these schools is to train adolescents to socially as well as economically be able to find their place in their environment.

Project : The Community schools presently have more than 1'200 students aged 9 to 15. Their objective is to give them a basic education so that they can integrate their country, while adapting to the needs of the agricultural life of the village. The project encourages the schooling of girls and educates parents regarding their children's education.

In order to favour the socioeconomic insertion of the students who have finished basic school, the project initiates them to manual activities and practical experiences, provides apprenticeships to graduates and supports their them in settling down in their professional life at the end of their education.

The project includes above all, activities aiming at the improvement of the teaching quality in the community schools through the training of teachers in Pedagogy of the Text.

Since last year (2007), the project also includes activities aiming at the improvement of the teaching quality in the community schools through the training of teachers in Pedagogy of the Text.

Partner : The Foundation for Community Development of Burkina Faso (FDC/BF) was founded in 1997. The FDC currently operates in 4 areas: community health, education (community schools), financing (implementation of a network of savings/credit banks) and management of natural resources. The FDC Community schools, supported from Enfants du Monde since 2004, are at present a national reference in Burkina Faso .

Back to list of projects
_________________________________________________________________________________________________

Context : In Burkina Faso, the maternal mortality rate is still high: 1000 maternal deaths out of 100000 live births between 2000 and 2007 (In Switzerland the rate is 7 out of 100000). As for the child mortality rate it is up to 104 out of 1000 live births in 2004 (only 4 out of 1000 in Switzerland in 2005). This situation can be explained by the fact that the different programs that have been developed, up to that point, to improve maternal and child health, were focusing on strengthening health services at the expense of the part that individuals, families and communities could play (IFC approach).

Project : This new project aims to improve Burkinabe's maternal and new born health by implementing the IFC approach in at least 1 district in each of the 9 sanitary regions of Burkina Faso . At a national level, scaling up this approach will be considered once the positive effect is recognized. At first, EdM helps its partners to elaborate community based diagnoses of the local health system in order to initiate activity prioritisation and participatory planning measures in the 3 first districts involved. Furthermore EdM helps to recruit, inform and educate a health care staff, based on the local support and participation.

In the course of the implementation with the partner associations and communities special attention will be paid to:

• Knowledge strengthening and awareness-raising regarding specific needs of maternal and neonatal health, notably at home and at community levels;

• Preparation of childbirth assisted by trained attendants and capacity to respond to obstetric and neonatal emergencies.

• Seeking of appropriate care and its delivery by qualified health personnel (Prenatal, emergency care, at birth, post-natal).

• Improvement of access to health-care delivery services and to appropriate care (community health mutual company and community transport organisation);

• Improvement of the heath-care services, notably by taking women and community perspectives into account. (Reception, respect, waiting period, fittingout, etc.)

Partner associations: The project involves a group of organisations: Family Care International, a local NGO, WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA (United Nations Population Fund) and the Burkinabe Ministry of Health, more precisely the Family Heath Direction. The local office of Enfants du Monde is part of the project steering group and plays a catalyst and technical support part.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

Context: Due to recurrent problems in the educative system in Burkina Faso, 70% of the children from rural regions never attended school. With ASIBA's opening in 2004 of the first education centres for adolescent, were laid the foundations for one of the most disadvantaged group; children from rural regions, which often end up on the fringes of school because they never attended school or because they dropped out too early.

Project : The Education Centers for adolescents are community based. They were set up in four villages of the area of Bazèga as a result of intensive discussions and cooperation with village communities who participate in their set-up and management.

Presently, 133 adolescent learners are involved in the project for a 4 year curriculum which will end in June 2009. The educative approach relies on the principles of the Pedagogy of the Text. At the end of the curriculum, special attention will also be given to the teenagers' socioeconomic integration.

EdM's role: Technical and financial support of the project, follow-up and supervision of the curriculum development, training of trainers, teachers' and community training.

The partner association: The International Solidarity Association for Bazèga (ASIBA) was founded in 1990. After implementing work focusing on economic promotion of women and organisational development, education became a key focus since 2001. ASIBA is one of the pioneers of experimentation and promotion of Pedagogy of Text in Burkina Faso.