Dreaming of Tomorrow: Education as a lifeline in Burkina Faso

In Burkina Faso, thousands of displaced people are demonstrating remarkable resilience in the face of hardships caused by insecurity. Thanks to education and agriculture projects, displaced children, women and men are rebuilding their lives, guided by hope, bravery and solidarity.
Education: a gateway to the future
Joseph Yambo, in his sixties, lives in Fada N’Gourma, in eastern Burkina Faso. An attack on his village in 2019 turned his life upside down. He lost his wife after fleeing, and his eldest daughter was forced to drop out of school to care for the family.
She joined a radio education programme set up by the Government and implemented by the charity Children Believe. The programme offered her a second chance.
“I’m hopeful she’ll get diplomas and a good job to look after me when I’m older.”

Like Joseph, more than 2 million people in Burkina Faso – about 10 per cent of the population – had to flee their homes due to the security crisis affecting the country since 2019. The violence also forced thousands of schools to close. The Government reports that more than 1 million people returned home in the last year, and more than 2,000 schools reopened, but urgent needs remain. The Regional Humanitarian Fund for West and Central Africa, managed by OCHA, invested in education projects targeting displaced children’s needs.


Insecurity disrupted education for Nassiratou Maiga, 16, originally from Arbinda in northern Burkina Faso. Displaced to Kaya four years ago, she joined a listening club supported by the Regional Fund and run by local non-governmental organization FDC, where she continues to learn reading and arithmetic.
Nassiratou does not wish to return to formal school right away, but she aspires to become a fashion designer and dreams of opening her own fashion shop.
“In a few years’ time I’ll be the designer dressing all the great ladies of Kaya.”

Women regaining control
Kourita Yameogo, 27, is a single mother of two living with a disability. Her husband and his second wife abandoned her as they fled their village. She sank into depression when she arrived in Kaya, but she regained her self-confidence thanks to talks organized by the Association Bon Samaritain pour l’Epanouissement de la Jeunesse du Centre-Nord, as part of a project supported by the Regional Fund.
Kourita now devotes herself to knitting and dreams of a machine to increase her production.
“I want to give my children a bright and happy future.”

Clora, Pagandama and Zoubena, three displaced teenagers living in Fada, also dream of independence through sewing and knitting. By generating a small income, they lighten the burden on their families while pursuing their ambition to open a workshop and train other displaced girls.
“We want to succeed while helping other girls to get by,” explains Zoubena with determination.

Women in agriculture
In addition to insecurity, people in Burkina Faso are also facing climate shocks, with increasingly severe disasters such as droughts and floods. These challenges heighten people’s vulnerability and their ability to grow food. Humanitarian partners are supporting displaced people and host communities to adapt their farming practices to a changing climate.
Rasmata, mother of eight living at the Tiwega site near Kaya, learned about soil-less farming, better adapted to the region’s unpredictable rain patterns. Thanks to a project implemented by Oxfam and supported by the Regional Fund, she started a small garden, which provided her with a source of income and helped improve her family’s diet, integrating fresh and nutrient-filled vegetables.
“I dream of going back to my village to create a bigger vegetable garden and help other women.”


Awa, 27, and Zalissa, 64, are benefiting from a livestock project supported by the Regional Fund and implemented by Oxfam. The women receive a few sheep and livestock training. Awa, displaced from Siangougrin, received a ram and two ewes, both of whom are pregnant. She hopes that her growing flock will provide a sustainable source of income.
Zalissa, displaced from Sogdin, sees this as a fresh start."Today, thanks to this project, I have new hope of rebuilding what I have lost.”
Awa, 27, and Zalissa, 64, are benefiting from a livestock project supported by the Regional Fund and implemented by Oxfam. The women receive a few sheep and livestock training. Awa, displaced from Siangougrin, received a ram and two ewes, both of whom are pregnant. She hopes that her growing flock will provide a sustainable source of income.
Zalissa, displaced from Sogdin, sees this as a fresh start."Today, thanks to this project, I have new hope of rebuilding what I have lost.”
Community spirit and solidarity: Hosting the displaced
In Buudnooma, 65-year-old Adama Sawadogo opened up 25 hectares of his land to accommodate more than 2,300 displaced people since June 2023. Humanitarian partners used this space to install tents, latrines, lampposts and hygiene kits. Adama not only provided shelter; he also shared plots of land to help displaced people grow crops and regain a degree of autonomy.
“Today, they are the ones in need; tomorrow, it could be us.”

A future woven in hope
About one in four people in Burkina Faso needs humanitarian assistance. Last year, donors generously provided more money than ever, but this was still less than half of the funding required. Humanitarian partners are working with the Government to access the most vulnerable people in hard-to-reach areas and provide life-saving assistance, while investing in resilience-building and climate adaptation to provide hope and sustainable solutions for the future.
These stories show that even through adversity, human resilience remains unshakeable. By supporting education, empowering people and cultivating solidarity, these initiatives enable people like Joseph, Kourita, Nassiratou and many others to hold on to the prospect of a better future. With each vegetable garden, each sewing machine and each lamppost, a future is taking shape where hope and dignity brighten the lives of thousands of people.
The Regional Humanitarian Pooled Fund for West and Central Africa, established in June 2021 and managed by OCHA, provides critical funding to address humanitarian needs and emergencies across the region. In 2024, the Fund supported projects in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, with the top donors being Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Canada, and Belgium. Support the Regional Fund and make a difference by contributing here.