Burkina Faso is one of the poorest countries in the world, ranking 185 out of 188 countries on the United Nations Human Development Index 2016. According to the World Bank, more than 46 percent of the country’s population lives in poverty on less than $1.25 per day. Burkina Faso has suffered from several serious droughts that have driven up food prices affecting the country’s food supply and causing malnutrition among the poorest residents and children. Up until the 1980s, the country also dealt with devastating military coups.
Salesian missionaries have been working in Burkina Faso since March 1993 when they began work in Bobo-Dioulasso, the second largest city in the country. They settled in a neighborhood known as Ouezzin which is an expanding area of the city with nearby areas crossed by several rivers. Salesian missionaries provide education and social development services designed to create a sense of family among the most vulnerable children and those most at risk of social exclusion.
Bobo-Dioulasso is the reference point for many surrounding villages where children, youth and adults head to in search of better living conditions. The area also has many children who have been abandoned by their family or sent into the city alone in the hope of a better future. As a result, there is a high population of children living in the streets. Most come from rural areas where they have left school or have not even had a chance to start.
With no education or means to take care of themselves, many youth who end up living on the streets turn to drugs or stealing, or are involved in prostitution or begging. The situation of girls is particularly severe because many end up as domestic slaves, subjected to exploitation and abuse, and deprived of all their rights.
Salesian missionaries living and working in the area have created programs that address the child welfare needs of youth living on the streets. A Salesian home accommodates 30 children, who are offered education, a place to sleep, food and medical care. And, if possible, they are assisted in reuniting with their families.
From Burkina Faso
From Burkina Faso
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