Burkina Faso Village Project Update Feb 2008
Piero Martinotti, Pistorio Foundation
Board Member, has visited the site of our project in the province of Boulkiemdé,
Burkina Faso. Having completed the expansion of the elementary school
of Nibagdo, the Pistorio Foundation, in collaboration with CIAI (Centro
Italiano Aiuto All’Infanzia), has identified and decided to address
the urgent need for the village of Nibagdo and the neighbouring six villages
of building a nearby secondary school.
The villages are currently too far from existing secondary schools and
this severely compromises children’s chances of completing their
education up to the high school diploma. In rural Burkina Faso, enrolment
rate at the secondary school are alarmingly low: only 8% of boys and 4.2
% of girls are enrolled in secondary school, down from 40% and 27% respectively
in elementary schools. One of the reasons that enrolment rate for girls
is significantly lower is that they are expected to help their mothers
with household work, looking after younger children, collecting water
and timber, and preparing meals, and with mothers’ work in the fields.
Reasons for overall low enrolment rates are the severe lack of schools,
especially at the secondary school level; the lack of means for parents
to sustain school fees; and the high exposure of children to diseases
tied to malnutrition and lack of sanitation.
The Pistorio Foundation has therefore decided to help improve secondary
school enrolment rate in the region of Nibagdo by building a secondary
school and supporting children’s education at the secondary school
level. Piero Martinotti, on behalf of the Pistorio Foundation, was able
to meet with CIAI and with local authorities from the district, namely
the Mayor of the “Commune Rurale” of Thoyou, and the Prefect
of the Province, who in turn have introduced Piero to the senior village
representative, “Chef des terres”, in charge of assigning
lands. They have together visited the preliminarily assigned land for
this project. All concerned local authorities expressed high, genuine
interest and appreciation for this project and reconfirmed the commitment
to lend the land for free and to build a road leading to the school. Piero
also met with the Regional Director of the Ministry of Secondary Education,
University Studies and Scientific Research who has agreed that the Education
Authorities will recruit and supply teachers, enrol students, provide
for school maintenance, and fully manage and run the school.
The land is in a semi-desert and flat area as most of rural Burkina Faso,
in the district of Thyou. None of the villages have electricity so we
will need to provide also a power source to supply the school’s
needs in electricity. Piero Martinotti has also met with potential constructors.
The Secondary School will serve the villages of Soula, Nibagdo, Thathyou,
Konkinaaba, Savili, Bouru, and Villa. The secondary school will consist
of 7 classrooms, a computer room, library, workshop room, administrative
offices, a lodging for the school director (as directors are sourced from
remote urban centres it is necessary in rural secondary schools to provide
accommodation for the school director), and toilets. Ultimately the school
will host in its full capacity 300-350 children.
The school will be equipped with electricity and running water, in contrast
with primary schools whose structure is much more basic. A secondary school
(equivalent to 7 years of school culminating in a high school diploma)
would represent an important opportunity of further development for the
villages. It is also an opportunity to bring electricity and connectivity
to this area.
Piero Martinotti also visited the primary school of Nibagdo where Pistorio
Foundation has financed the expansion of the elementary school and he
has seen the new hangar, kitchen and restrooms. They are all completed
and fully operational. 356 children in 6 elementary classes attend this
school. Piero has met with school staff and children sponsored by the
Pistorio Foundation.
|
Video of Projects
