International Youth Day – Celebrating our Alumni in Burkina Faso

The 12th of August marks International Youth Day. On this day, we celebrate the incredible potential of young people on the cusp of adulthood, recognise the unique challenges that they face, and remind ourselves to see them as partners in today’s global society.

The last part is particularly important for organisations like ACT that are involved in International Development. The idea that young people are not passive beneficiaries, but instead have a stake in creating their own future, is overlooked far too often by those claiming to work on their behalf. Reflecting this, the theme for International Youth Day 2022 is ‘Intergenerational solidarity: creating a world for all ages.” It should inspire us not only to protect the youth that we serve, but also to support them to develop their own communities, and to step into their roles as tomorrow’s leaders.

For us at ACT, no group of youngsters represents this spirit of realised potential so much as our Alumni group in Burkina Faso. This incredible group of young men and women has experienced the twin challenges of war and poverty, a combination that most young people in the UK can scarcely imagine. Yet, they have endeavoured to not only survive as individuals, but to also form a network with the mission of supporting the next generation of vulnerable kids through education and into adulthood.

Burkina Faso: A War on Education

We cannot underestimate the challenges for those growing up in Burkina Faso, a country with a long history of poverty, political instability, and rising violence (read more about the political context of Burkina Faso here). Today, the people of Burkina Faso (Burkinabés) are living through a humanitarian crisis at the hands of armed Islamist insurgent groups. In what Human Rights Watch dubs the ‘war on education’ (2020), an alarming trend has been the deliberate targeting of students, teachers and schools by armed groups. According to Amnesty International, over 230 teachers were threatened, killed or abducted to prevent them from teaching by those opposed to Western education or in conflict with the government (2022). As a result, 3,664 schools and some universities are closed this year, affecting 579,440 students (Unicef, 2022).

This is devastating news for a country that, despite making extraordinary progress in education, still has a long way to go. When ACT first began operations in Burkina Faso in 2000, only 45% of school-age children were enrolled in primary school – compared to 93% in 2020. Yet secondary school completion is still low (at 12.7%), with tertiary level enrolment remaining but a dream for most young Burkinabés (at 8%) *.

Jaques Tondes, ACT Alumni, 2000

The ACT Alumni in Burkina Faso

In this context, we are very proud of the ACT Alumni in Burkina Faso. These are ACT sponsored children who, with the support of our partners on the ground, have completed their studies, are working, or are currently in university. See here for more information about ACTs work in Burkina Faso.

The Burkina Faso ACT Alumni group is headed by Jaques Tonde as the President. He is a wonderful example of the ethos of service that underpins what ACT is about. A graduate of the university of Ouagadougou, he was one the first children that ACT started supporting in 2001. Following the completion of his studies, he joined other ACT graduates to set up an alumni group. The idea proved popular, and an official group was formed in 2017, and he was elected the first President. In 2018, the group together donated 70,000CFA to ACT, the first of many other gifts, to ensure that more children could be added for support through ACT and stay on in education. In this way, our graduates are supporting the next generation (who in turn will support the next) and are taking action to break the cycle of poverty in their own communities.

Going International…

The impact of this extends far beyond the borders of Burkina Faso. It has provided the blueprint for our ‘Alumni Leadership Programme’, which ACT is now rolling out across the 8 African countries where we work. This programme is designed to bring together those who have benefitted from ACT support to attain their educational potential, motivate and empower them to carry forward the vision of ACT and take responsibility for its future growth and success. Our ultimate goal is to encourage the formation of national networks of ACT alumni within all the countries where ACT operates, and to connect them to form a global network that will include ACT supporters and volunteers in the UK and Worldwide.

ACT is for the children otherwise forgotten

Your support for our work will help to make a difference. Becoming a child sponsor will help to educate a child so that they too can achieve their potential in life, and become part of the ACT Alumni Leadership Programme. This will empower youngsters to follow their ambition and become leaders in their communities.

To make a regular donation now click here.

*Statistics taken from World Bank data