THE COUNTRY
Burkina Faso, the country of « upright men » is a country of Western Africa which has no access to the sea. As a former French colony it now has a democratic regime. The climate is sudano-sahelian. Despite the aridity, agriculture plays an important role in the national economy.
THE importance of agriculture
Agriculture in Sahel is based on a traditional extensive system. Under the pressure of demography and real estate, this system has now reached its limits. Desertification expands rapidly in this fragile ecosystem thus threatening the food safety of a young and rapidly growing population.
children victims of misery
Rural misery draws young people to the cities. The most vulnerable, mainly girls, sometimes find themselves in desperate situations. Forced to accept abusive conditions, some of them become victims of unwanted pregnancies thus endangering their own life as well as that of their future child.
Level of education
Burkina Faso has one of the lowest school and literacy rate in the world. Despite important progresses that have been achieved during the last five years, the situation remains worrying according to UNICEF. There are numerous geographical disparities in terms of infrastructure and gender. The government, fully aware of these problems, has aimed at reaching a quality education for all in 2020.