Thanks to your generous support the Dialego Foundation was able to finance scholarships for 71 girls and young women in Burkina Faso and sponsor a one year training as an elementary school teacher.

Here are the personal life stories of some of the sponsored young women

During the last few years many new schools have been built in Burkina Faso and our challenge was to meet the requirementof qualified teachers for these new schools in rural areas. The percentage of female teachers is very low. They make up only 30 percent of all the teaching staff in the primary schools. The number of girls attending school isparticularly low in rural areas. There are several reasons why parents do not send their daughters to school. State schools are free, however the family income is often too low to be able to afford the accompanying expenditure e.g. school uniform and learning materials. There is not a secondary school in every area and the journey to school is often too far or too expensive. Boys have priority when registering for secondary schools. Girls often marry early and therefore do not have any need for schooling, according to their parents. It came to our attention during our charity trip in March 2007 to Burkina Faso, the biggest wish of many women was to complete the teaching training course at one of the state teaching colleges (for primary school teachers).

It is for this reason that the Dialego Foundation for Children would like to be involved in this project and with your help provide scholarships.

The aim of this project: 

Plan together with the Ministry of Education of has made a plan for a comprehensive education programme. The aims are:

  • to increase the attendance rate of girls in schools
  • to meet the demand for teachers in the Plan programme areas
  • to improve the quality of lessons and
  • to increase the number of graduations

Plan is giving 350 scholarships in total to young women from rural areas. Young females from particularly needy families will be favoured. The scholarship will secure a one year course to become a primary school teacher at one of the five state colleges (for primary school teachers).

Choosing the scholarship holders:

A committee chooses the girls and young women who receive the scholarships. The committee is made up of male and female representatives of the colleges, the pupils, state institutions and Plan. When choosing the candidates for the scholarships then it is orphans and war refugees, as well as women who have not been able to finish their teacher training due to financial reasons that are more likely to be considered.

Measures:

  • Choosing the candidate for scholarship
  • Payment of first instalment of the grant is paid to the women
  • Evaluation of former scholarship holders and report of their school work
  • Planning and expansion of the teaching modules on child’s rights