Burkina Faso Outreach :: BFOAfrica.org

BUILDING CLASSROOMS

In October 2006, under the Lord's direction and with the support of Lynn's generous donors, a new private Christian elementary school was opened.  It’s a 3-classroom building educating 85 orphans, many of whom wouldn’t be in school had the opportunity not been provided for them. This first school continues to see top-ranking results.

In January, 2010, we celebrated the opening of another beautiful school in the village of Gobila.  We started with a single first grade classroom and will add on 2 additional classrooms in Summer 2010.

"We are able to enroll children who had never attended school, but by State guidelines were too old to start.  We took in a 12-year old named Ludevine, crippled by Cerebal Palsy who ranks in the top of her class.  And Chantal, a 12-year old who was left to take care of a crippled elderly woman instead of attending school.  They found someone else to take care of the woman and Chantal is also ranking top of the  class! "   

This was just the beginning.  Burkina Faso Outreach is now reaching out to villages where there are no schools.  We are able to initiate relationship with these villages through our Child Sponsorship Program.  As a partnership develops, we can introduce Christian education by offering preschool classes under a simple shelter followed by the possibility of an elementary school for their very own children.  We find the "Partnership" is important - the people of the village help with the work; for example cutting the wood and straw and helping to make the bricks for the shelters; the women prepare the meal where a lunch program is included; the students share a small portion of their crop to contribute to the meal.

Check out the BLOG for updates! 

INDIVIDUALIZED EDUCATION 

We found many of the children in Burkina were advancing to the 5th grade without knowing how to read or understand the French language.  Without these capacities, they can’t possibly excel in the other subject areas.  Employing and training local teachers, Burkina Faso Outreach is able to provide tutoring, remedial groups, summer school classes, and small group instruction.  With this individualized attention, students are able to integrate into the classroom and succeed. 

Literacy classes have been created for children and adults who are not able to attend school on a full-time basis, but have a desire to read.

PRESCHOOL EDUCATION

Burkina Faso Outreach has placed a large emphasis on preschool education.  With even just a few months of preschool, these young children are given a basic foundation to help them succeed in primary school, they develop a desire to learn, and what a wonderful age to begin planting seeds of the gospel.

The typical child in Burkina does not have puzzles, crayons, legos, and books to develop the skills necessary to begin reading, writing, and math.  They are accustomed to roaming the streets and communicating in the native language of Moret; so our preschool classes help ease the transition to sitting still at a desk, learning to read, and understanding the French language necessary to continue on in school.

With your help, Burkina Faso Outreach will continue to develop educational programs and build more schools.  We'll be partnering with other organizations in Burkina who also have a vision to share the gospel through education.  The goal is to secure land and complete construction of 3 single-classroom primary schools by October 2011.  In the meantime, for  simply the cost of a teacher's salary ($200-$250/month) we can also continue teaching through literacy classes, remedial reading groups, and preschool programs.