Burkina Faso

For many years courageous people in Burkina Faso have worked to make sure that young girls can grow up in a safe environment. Thanks to the legal decree in 1996, which criminalized genital mutilation, SAIDA is able to seek out similar types of initiatives and support them. Since 2011 we have worked with the Gomboro community, a region in northern Burkina Faso, to make sure that these girls are protected effectively.

Despite the legal compulsory education in Burkina Faso, many children are not enrolled in school because their families do not have enough money. Furthermore, there are not enough buildings, space or supplies for every child. Therefore, the girls are usually deprived of the opportunity to get an education. In most cases the girls stay home and take care of the household, fieldwork, and younger siblings. This increases the probability of forced marriages and early pregnancies.

We recently launched a health care program for children to give vulnerable access to medical care. Now 1,079 elementary school children benefit from the children's health insurance. With our new health insurance, parents pay a small co-payment while SAIDA takes care of the rest. Now families can regularly bring their child to the local health station without fear of the cost.