ACT alumnus ties the knot in Burkina Faso

ACT alumunus, Harouna Ouedraogo and his bride, Rasmata Sonde, tied the knot in a beautiful wedding ceremony in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso on Saturday, April 1st, 2023, surrounded by their families and loved ones. Their wedding was a joyous occasion, filled with music, dancing, and celebration.

Neimata (r) at their home in Hamdalaye (2007)

Harouna was among the first cohort of children that ACT started supporting in Burkina Faso in 2001, just two years after ACT was formed. The oldest of 3 siblings, he was 13 years old the time and his father had passed away a few years earlier. Just four years later his mother also passed away leaving Harouna, just 17 and still in high school to take on the immense responsibility of caring for his younger brother, Bernard who was 11 and his sister, Neimata who was just 9 years old. He would wake up early every morning to prepare his siblings for school, give them breakfast, take them to school before heading off to school himself. ACT supported the family all through the ordeal, funding their education and enabling them to go on to higher education.

Along with the unexpected responsibility, Harouna continued with his education, did very well in the national exams and was admitted to the university of Ouagadougou to study mathematics, and later Economics.

Harouna has been a great role model for his siblings and community. He is now a math’s teacher at a local college, helping to shape the minds of the next generation of students. Like Harouna, Bernard is now also a secondary school teacher in Ouagadougou.

Harouna’s love story with Rasmata Sonde is a testament to his resilience and the power of shared experience. Rasmata was also an orphan who received support from the founder of Child Hope, a partner organisation in Burkina Faso. Both Harouna and Rasmata grew up together and shared a special bond that was celebrated by their community.

Our warmest congratulations to Harouna and Rasmata. We wish them a lifetime of happiness and love. Their love story is a source of inspiration and a reminder of the power of community.

We at ACT are honoured to have played a part in the journey of these two lovely people who had a challenging start to life but have overcome the adversities and have become a blessing to their community and their nation.

Here’s to love, hope, and a bright future!

Click here to watch a short clip of the wedding celebration.

To find out how you can support ACT to help more disadvantaged children in Africa like Harouna and Rasmata, please click here.