Ouagadougou: The 2nd edition of the Faso-Mbo Holiday Camp, organized under the auspices of the 2nd military region, officially ended in Bobo-Dioulasso this Monday morning, with a call to Burkinabe youth to make the values of civic-mindedness, patriotism, discipline and responsibility the foundations of their civic engagement.
According to Burkina Information Agency, during the closing ceremony, the campers’ representative, Chrif Mansour N’Diaye, praised the initiative, which he said allowed the young participants to transform their holidays into a genuine learning experience. He specifically mentioned the training they received in paving stone making, drill, civic responsibility, patriotism, art and dance, road safety, and environmental protection.
“We leave with new knowledge, new values and above all a better understanding of our role as citizens,” he said, calling on his comrades to become ambassadors of civic-mindedness, peace, discipline and living together in their families, schools and neighborhoods.
Speaking on behalf of the Director General of the Faso-Mbo Agency, the agency’s regional coordinator for Guiriko, Captain Elvis Kapioko, noted that the campers, coming from different backgrounds and horizons, leave with “a collective experience, common values and the awareness of belonging to the same family, that of Burkina Faso”.
He stressed that the discipline taught during the camp constitutes a school of self-control, while patriotism must be reflected in daily actions, particularly through respect for symbols, rules and others.
The second edition of the Faso-Mbo Holiday Camp, which brought together more than 500 campers, was also presented as an initiative deployed across the country’s six military regions, uniting thousands of young people around shared lessons and values. “You are not six different groups of young people, but one single Burkinab youth united in diversity,” Captain Kapioko emphasized.
The patron of the ceremony, Lieutenant-Colonel Lassan Porgo, commander of the 2nd Military Region, for his part, praised the commitment of the authorities who agreed to co-sponsor the event. He also congratulated the campers and reminded them that building a nation is not limited to infrastructure, but depends first and foremost on the education of upright citizens.
Addressing the young people, he urged them to cultivate academic excellence, hard work, discipline, respect for elders, and a sense of service to the nation. “Building a country is not limited to erecting concrete infrastructure. It is above all about forging upright consciences,” he stated.
The Faso-Mbo Holiday Camp aims to be a framework for civic and patriotic education intended to contribute to the training of a youth aware of its responsibilities and committed to the construction of Burkina Faso.
At the closing ceremony, officials invited parents to ensure the continuity of the lessons learned at camp, making daily example a privileged means of transmitting values to young people.