Association Burkina Humanitaire //Burkina 🇧🇫

Hello Dear Readers, How can I introduce or start this post? Today again I am talking Humanitarian cause. This time I wanted to share the Association Burkina Humanitaire from Burkina Faso 🇧🇫 a beautiful country in West Africa, bordered by Mali to the Northwest and Niger to the Northeast. A country once called the Haute Volta but has been changed later by our beloved young leader Thomas Sankara in the native language "More" to Burkina Faso meaning the Country of the Righteous Men. The capital city is Ouagadougou that we Africans often call Ouaga. Yes, that Thomas Sankara, the African leader of freedom and nationalism in his country. He was gone too soon... So let me first start like this with this beautiful song of Kids United. On Ecrit sur les Murs ( We Write on the Wall)

On ecrit sur les Murs, we are writing on the walls the words of peace, love. We write on the walls a better future for children, we write on the walls words of wisdom, hope and love for your neighbors and this is why I share this post with you today. If you feel like helping children someday think about the Association Burkina Humanitaire in one of the villages in Burkina Faso. An apolitical organization/Association that count 10 active members.

I first met Pascal Bouda (the founder of this association) in 2010 through a lady on Facebook and I started talking to him since then. I admire his resilience and his passion for this cause. I like humanitarian causes. I talk about it in my discussion on what I learned from my Mother. Pascal is a teacher. I didn't know it, I found out that later and quiet frankly it makes sense. He teaches kids from 6 to 12 years old of age. He saw some children living out of the city of Ouagadougou having difficulties to go to school. As a matter of fact, he went to his village to help families who could not even afford a pen to send their children to school. Families are aware that children need Education but they cannot pay their school tuitions and fees. It touched me so much to hear the reason of his passion for this cause. It does not happen often in Africa to see people to stand for others. There are not many because we have been programmed to always beg and receive. Africans, we do not know how to give to others. Therefore, an Association like that should be supported. Every children should have the chance to go to school. Parents are desperate to send them to school but they have Nothing to do it. It made me so sad to hear that. I asked to Pascal if the girls have the same possibilities to go to school like the boys in the village? If sometimes he encounters difficulties to send girls to school? He told me yes, many girls! The parents think that they should stay at home to help their mothers and they groom them for marriage so they can take care of them later. I Laetitia, am very aware that in some countries in Africa, girls do not have the same chances on purpose. Sometimes it is hidden in some religious or cultural reasons. They are more vulnerable too. My question was how does he manage to convince the parents to let them go to school? Pascal told me that he explained to them that girls going to school is even the best decision since it is about family matters. In fact, girls always come back to take care of their parents whereas boys when they succeed they tend to take care of their own little families and barely take care of their parents. This is something that i keep saying. In fact, in Africa, we women always come back to take care of our parents but Men usually are gone. They do not come back to take care of them. They focus only on their own families and that's it. So yes, we must encourage more girls going to school. Girls never forget their homes.

I had many questions about how they follow the children's school curriculum up to High school diploma because we know that once they get this diploma they can then go to public universities where the government provides help for students. They are very careful to work on this process. They want to have more children succeed through the impact of the association. Pascal also explained to me that people who want to sponsor can send every month 10 US Dollars. 10 US Dollar/per month is enough to provide for school fees, clothes and some medical needs in the village. The sponsor gets every report of the month on how the money was spent and can also communicate with the child and the family. I confirm this because I did it too. I started sponsoring a little girl around 2013 but I admit that later on I stop doing it because life keeps on going (sorry oooo 😅). I got lost in my world of struggle of life (laugh) yes, I will come back to it this year for sure. As an African I admit that we do not have the hand on our heart easily (A french expression to say we do not commit in giving. We don't know how to give to others like a sacrifice of commitment.) Few people do it and they are seen like extraordinary when in fact it should be normal. Up to now, most of the faithful sponsors he told me were Europeans families. Yes, it made me uncomfortable to hear that because we must be the first to give more for our own children in Africa. I was embarrassed honestly...I have to admit that when something is wrong, then it is wrong and we must say it☹️🙁.

My last question to Pascal was: "As a teacher what would be your response to people who say we dont need Education today as long as I can do my basic things." Pascal thoughts on it were, he sees a huge difference between people who are at least educated a little bit are different because for instance he sees some mother who cannot read, she cannot properly take care of their children. For instance, the doctor give prescriptions how is she going to follow the medication if she cannot read? Many little things like this. By the way Pascal and the association are also working on the issue of drinking water in the village. The project is supported by an European country. Ok This is our discussion/ exchange Live on youtube below. in French for those who can understand If someday you feel like you want to support this children for clothes, education and water you can contact the group: Association Burkina Humanitaire and the founder name is Pascal Bouda. I will also share some pictures of the children below so you see it is real and thank you for reading this post. I hope more people will put their hand on the heart and give for the children from not only Burkina Faso but to also other countries in the continent. Thank you Pascal for your time as well. It was a nice discussion with our differences of time zone

Some pictures of children's activities in the village. As you can see girls are indeed going to school too. These children come from different families and religious background. This is the Africa that we want to see often. A person who stands up for a good cause. I pray someday that you Pascal, the world would see your devoted work for these children. Heros are not always wearing capes. May God bless you for what you are doing to these little angels. Giving chance to these children to go to school is the best investment for a brighter future in their lives and they will always remember that. I wish the best

Because Hope is a part of us. My thoughts yes: because Africa is a colorful continent of Joy and happiness. Because we should draw on the walls messages of Peace and big dreams for the continent. Dreaming about bigger dreams for the days to come in Africa. Because we should write on the walls, words of wisdom and Hope for a brighter future for our children, this is how I close this post on a happy note. A song Dear Mama Africa Chere Mama Africa, with two musical icones of Africa that I grew up listening to: Youssou Ndour from Senegal and Angelique Kidjo from the Republic of Benin with the Kids United . My son and I love this song very much. I hope you will love it too. Enjoy! and thank you for reading