Ouagadougou: The Public Interest Group-National Volunteer Program in Burkina Faso (GIP-PNV) has announced the commencement of a significant volunteer recruitment initiative, set to launch on September 25, 2026. The program aims to enlist one million national reserve volunteers over the course of five years, at an annual recruitment rate of 200,000 volunteers. These volunteers will be trained to assist in responses to health emergencies, natural disasters, and various humanitarian and environmental crises.
According to Burkina Information Agency, applications for this ambitious program will be accepted starting September 25, 2026, through a designated national volunteer reserve registration platform. This initiative will adhere to a predetermined quota based on regional requirements. The Director General of GIP-PNV, Djourmit Nestor Nouf, emphasized that the volunteer reservists will complement existing public services without replacing defense and security forces, emergency services, healthcare professionals, or specialized technicians.
The scope of the volunteers' involvement will extend to areas such as hygiene and sanitation, environmental protection, maintenance of community infrastructure, social cohesion, and supporting public service deployment in reclaimed areas. Nouf stressed the importance of grassroots involvement, stating, "Reservists will not be built from an office, but rather in the municipalities and districts, in the villages, in the neighborhoods, in the communities, and above all with the youth themselves." He urged communities to embrace this initiative as a means of fostering citizen engagement to address real community needs.
The announcement was made during a press conference in Ouagadougou, where Nouf also introduced the "Senior Volunteering" initiative. This program seeks to leverage the expertise of retired senior executives and professionals with over two decades of experience. The pilot phase plans to engage seven senior volunteers in entrepreneurship and fifteen in the healthcare sector.
In entrepreneurship, experts in banking, finance, and accounting will mentor volunteers and former volunteers with project initiatives. Thirty-five project leaders are slated to receive coaching sessions in Ziniar before presenting their projects to a jury. In the healthcare domain, senior volunteers will collaborate with Saint-Camille Hospital in Ouagadougou, focusing on maternal and neonatal health, cancer screenings, metabolic and cardiovascular diseases, minor surgeries, and ophthalmology during a dedicated three-day operation.