As many as 2 in 3 children in West Africa are unable to attend school. The result? Deplorable. Lack of education is linked to many times higher mortality rates in adulthood.
Most families cannot afford the expense of even the simplest school kit. Bordering on poverty and with less than a dollar to spend each day, no one thinks about buying a backpack, a pencil case, pens or notebooks, but how to miraculously feed the whole family.
Although school in Burkina Faso is theoretically free, children often have to miss out, as they don’t even have a single pair of school slippers or a notebook. This makes universal access to education – a fundamental right for everyone – not a fact but a pious hope.
Having one school textbook increases a student’s reading ability by up to 20%.
Katharina Michaelowa, Annika Wechtler (2006)
School in Burkina Faso teaches more than just the subjects we know from our own classrooms. It also teaches agriculture, tree planting, animal husbandry, sensible water management and the basics of healthy eating.
The lack of basic education on the above topics has disastrous consequences for the entire community. It cannot be that the lack of a notebook or the cheapest flip-flops to get to lessons stands in the way of learning the basic skills needed to survive in this part of the world!
What we are going to create with your support:
Our Good Factory is in full swing, with cogs turning to produce as many as 60 school kits for children in Burkina Faso. The average price of one layette, which is enough for a minimum of one year of school, is around 24 EUR (100 PLN).
The school kit includes:
- Small and large notebooks (several pieces)
- Pencil case full of pens, pencils, an eraser and a sharpener
- Counting sticks
- Water bottle
- Flip-flops
- Set of school textbooks
- Schoolbag
- Writing board, chalk and sponge
If we can raise more money, we will also be able to provide the children with school uniforms and outfits for physical education classes.
Can I donate items?
Due to the very high transport costs (running into hundreds of EUR, which we could use to provide direct aid), we have decided to purchase all the necessary items locally, in Burkina Faso. In this way, we can also support local production, which has benefits for all the country’s citizens.
How will I know if my donation has reached the children in need?
We will be posting the progress of the layettes on our Facebook page, Instagram and through the Newsletter. Follow us!