… How would this impact disadvantaged groups?
Burkina Faso, already one of the most poverty-stricken countries in the world, is now facing additional economic challenge on a huge scale.
France has decided to withdraw its development aid from Burkina Faso amid a conflict in opinion over the current political situation and military regime in Niger. The fallout will unfortunately hit the poorest in society the hardest, adding a burden on the many already disadvantaged children and orphans, as well as widows and women-in-need.
ACT started working in Burkina Faso in 2001, working with fatherless children and orphans and empowering widows and women-led households who are in need in deprived communities. Our goal, more widely, is to support poor households to acquire the economic and social services necessary for an improved quality of life. Since then, we have successfully provided welfare aid for nearly 600 children. Among these, about 200 have been supported through primary and secondary education, with several of them (about 10 per cent) going on to study at university. Our “Sustainable Whole Life Skills” programme in Burkina Faso has allowed hundreds of widows to generate a sustainable income. We empower them through training in business skills and literacy classes to discover their innate skills and grant them business loans to start off their small enterprises.
Our work in-country has made incredible progress in terms of education. In 2023, 93% of school-aged children were enrolled in primary school education, compared with just 45% in 2001. However, there is still a significant amount of work to be done, and much of the progress has the potential to be set back by the worsening economic and political circumstances.
We are determined to continue our work in the region, and to help to offset the economic, social and welfare loss which has emerged because of France’s recent decision, in our own little way.
The people of Burkina Faso are in desperate need of our assistance. We need you, our generous donors, to help us to fulfill our aims. We would therefore be sincerely grateful for any additional donations provided at this time of immense need. For more information on how you can help click here.