In Senegal and Burkina Faso (West Africa) many children do not go to school or only go to school for a few years. Because the school is too far away, the school facilities are inadequate or because the parents do not have money for school supplies. We are doing something about that.

We want as many children as possible to go to school, because a better future starts with good education. If children do not go to school, they are more likely to find low-paid work later, and so are their children.

Lack of money

Poverty is the biggest problem. There is not enough money to build additional classrooms for the growing number of children and therefore the classes are overcrowded. If you already go to school, it is not easy to learn under poor conditions and good teaching is also a challenge for teachers. Poverty sometimes also means that children have to help their parents to earn money or do the housework. Many child marriages still take place in Burkina Faso, which means that girls no longer go to school at an early age.

What are we doing?

Kinderposttempels has been working with local partners in Senegal and Burkina Faso for more than 20 years to create a better future for children. We want to get as many children as possible into school and ensure that they receive education for as long as possible.

We work on a child-friendly and safe school environment and strive for equal opportunities for boys and girls. We involve everyone in the child's immediate environment: parents, teachers and people from their community. In our new program 'Going to school with a clear mind' we train teachers to work on increasing the resilience and well-being of children.

Youth clubs

Young people often talk more easily with their peers than with their parents and are more likely to share their problems with each other. That is why we always support youth clubs in West Africa.

The young people come together in a fixed place: a classroom at school or a central location in their village or city. They do all kinds of things: talk about trending topics and topics that affect them, such as teenage pregnancies. Or they organize sporting activities or theater workshops. or They learn about their rights and receive sex education,

Discussing taboos

It is an important place where they can discuss taboos and share their concerns. The members of these youth clubs are usually the first to notice when there is tension at home, when there is a threat of forced marriage or when someone has learning problems.

The young people take it to the teacher at school, who then takes it up with the parents and other involved parties. This way, problems are discussed earlier and a solution can be found together.

What are we doing?

We set up youth clubs with our partners in West Africa and ensure that young people learn to form their own opinions and stand up for their rights. They are trained, for example, to recognize stress and discuss problems, but also in good group leadership and how to raise an important topic with adults to achieve a goal.