Sno: The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) handed over 22,152 school kits to the Regional Director of Preschool, Primary and Non-Formal Education (DREPPNF) of the Sahel on Monday. This donation, with a total value of 132,000,000 CFA francs, is intended for internally displaced students as well as children from host communities in the Liptako and Sirba regions.
According to Burkina Information Agency, the NRC's zone manager, Amadou Maga, stated that this action is part of the humanitarian response that his organization is carrying out to support children affected by massive displacement due to insecurity.
Mr. Maga explained that 11,169 school kits will be distributed to students in the provinces of Sno, Oudalan, and Yagha, in the Liptako region, while 10,983 kits are intended for schoolchildren in the commune of Bogand, in the Sirba region.
He added that these supplies will enhance the access of the children concerned to an educational service and facilitate their teaching and learning, which are often disrupted by population movements.
This initiative was made possible thanks to two projects funded respectively by the Norwegian Cooperation (NORAD) and by the European Commission's Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid department (ECHO).
Amadou Maga expressed his satisfaction with the collaboration between the NRC and the actors of the education system in the Sahel region. He emphasized that this synergy of actions contributes to better addressing the challenges faced by students and teachers in a context marked by insecurity and displacement.
The Regional Director of Preschool, Primary and Non-Formal Education in the Sahel, Elhadji Boubacar, thanked the NRC for this gesture which, he noted, considerably lightens the burden on parents and strengthens the learning conditions of children.
For the DREPPNF, this support is crucial as the Sahel region has more than half of its school population made up of internally displaced students. He stated that in this context, the support of partners appears to be an essential lever to keep children in school and reduce the risk of dropping out.
The beneficiaries, students and parents alike, also expressed their gratitude to the NRC for this assistance, which they considered timely and life-saving.
With this large-scale action, the Norwegian Refugee Council reaffirms its commitment to support education in crisis situations in the Sahel.