The Diocese of Nouna, in western Burkina Faso, has been severely impacted by the ongoing security crisis. With over 80% of the population dependent on agriculture, many families have faced displacement due to violence by extremist groups. The diocese has welcomed over 30,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs), more than 80% of whom are children, many of them unable to continue their education due to financial constraints.
Challenges caused by population displacement
Internally displaced households are accommodated by host families who, also, share their meals with the IDPs.
The diocese of Nouna is calling for help to ACN to provide these displaced students with schooling and meals. Echoing the Holy Father’s message let us be reminded that every immigrant who knocks on our door is an opportunity to meet Jesus Christ, who identifies with the foreigner of every age, welcomed, or rejected.
ACN helps provide livelihoods opportunities
The project will provide food, school fees, and water access to 200 displaced Catholic students and their families for the remainder this school year and the next one. The key goals are:
- Food support: Provide three meals a day, including rice, pasta, sugar, salt, oil, and sardines, for the last two terms of the school year. As the adage says, ‘An empty belly has no ears.’
- School fees assistance: Cover school fees, enabling them to continue their education and acquire essential school materials.
- Access to water: Install a solar-powered water tower at the diocesan secondary school chaplaincy to ensure a steady supply of drinking water for students and nearby families, especially during the dry season when water shortages are common.
Your donation can make a tangible difference in the lives of these children – supporting these students is a great necessity to ensure Burkina Faso faces a brighter future.