In Africa’s Sahel region, Burkina Faso is among the 10 poorest countries in the world. In recent years, internal conflict in the country has intensified, spreading across all regions. As a result, more than a million people are displaced and thousands of children are facing this growing humanitarian crises.
Their schools closed, their villages often destroyed, these children fleeing violence and fear are increasingly exposed to risks like domestic violence or early marriage.
With EU financial support, Save the Children launched a programme to tackle the education, protection and mental health needs of children caught up in the Sahel crisis.
In 2021, the EU allocated €4.9 million to kickstart the 3-year programme implemented in Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso. Azara, Issouf and Souleymane are among the children benefitting from the programme in Burkina Faso. These are their stories.
Story and photos by Save the Children.
burkina-faso-building-a-brighter-future-c_save_the_children_01Issouf*, aged 7, arriving at an EU-funded temporary school set up by Save the Children. He had to escape the violence that displaced over 1.4 million people in Burkina Faso. *Name has been changed. 
burkina-faso-building-a-brighter-future-c_save_the_children_02“Issouf is very good at reading. If I tell him to spell a word, he breaks it down easily,” his teacher says. 
burkina-faso-building-a-brighter-future-c_save_the_children_03Isouf plans to enroll in a regular school next year, to keep building a better future for himself and his family. 
burkina-faso-building-a-brighter-future-c_save_the_children_04Azara’s* school was also closed down because of the violence in her region. The conflict claimed her father’s life and forced her family to flee their village. *Name has been changed. 
burkina-faso-building-a-brighter-future-c_save_the_children_05“We are safer here. Back home, we slept with fear,” says Azara’s mother. “We need this help so that she is not without a future.” 
burkina-faso-building-a-brighter-future-c_save_the_children_06“We assess all the challenges that a child is facing, and come up with a structured action plan to try and find solutions for them,” says Azara’s social worker. 
burkina-faso-building-a-brighter-future-c_save_the_children_07Souleymane*, 14, was also forced to flee his home after armed men attacked his village. He is now enrolled in school, hoping for a fresh start. *Name has been changed. 
burkina-faso-building-a-brighter-future-c_save_the_children_08Souleymane* is supported by Save the Children, with an EU-funded project providing education and mental health care for children affected by the conflicts in the Sahel. 
burkina-faso-building-a-brighter-future-c_save_the_children_09‘We want Souleymane to succeed in school so that tomorrow, even if we are no longer there, he can take care of himself,’ says his mother.
