Informal learning education project in Burkina Faso

Offering a second chance to out-of-school children

When the public school refused to welcome Zalissa because she was too young, her fate was sealed. Being a girl from a village with mostly illiterate inhabitants in Burkina Faso, her path was set: early marriage, giving birth to children one after the other, working in the fields and carrying water and firewood.

Fortunately, Zalissa was able to join one of the schools supported by Enfants du Monde from 2004 to 2020 in Burkina Faso intended for children who have never been to school or have dropped out of school too early. Enabling them to go to school, our Swiss NGO offers a better future for thousands of disadvantaged children in Burkina Faso, especially girls. In Second Chance Schools, students receive a quality education which will enable them to pursue their studies or be trained in a profession. The knowledge and skills acquired help them to get out of poverty and build themselves a future.

Our impact in the field

• More than 6,500 children and teenagers were enrolled in 100 informal schools from 2013 to 2016.
• Particular attention is paid to girls education: In the schools we support, more than 50% of the students are girls.
• The schools managed by our partner organisations listen to families and adapt their operating mode and their teaching to the local life. In schools intended for shepherding communities for instance, students learn to read and write but also how to take care of cattle. 
• Lessons are given in two languages- in French, the official language and in the local language. 
• The teachers and the teaching staff's training team receive in-depth training wich enables them to improve the quality of their lessons thanks to the bilingual teaching (French/local language) based on an innovative and active pedagogic approach.