The Réseau, Education de qualité par le bi-plurilinguisme au Burkina Faso (REB, Quality education through bi-plurilingualism in Burkina Faso) was born of the desire of some twenty CSOs to combine their efforts, as part of an advocacy campaign for the promotion of national languages in Burkina Faso. For the past six (06) years, REB has been implementing activities to promote national languages, either independently or in conjunction with MENAPLN structures. Among the activities already carried out are the following:
- support for language policy development ;
- support for the development of a bi-lingual education strategy;
- the production of a documentary film on the best practices of REB member organizations;
- the award of a prize at the Galian 2022 edition;
- conducting, reporting and validating a study of Kandèrè, a minority language in Burkina Faso’s Centre-Ouest region,
- etc.
These actions are already receiving positive feedback from state actors, whose interest in national languages is growing. This justifies the adoption on December 06 2023 of a bill revising the Constitution and henceforth enshrining national languages as official languages. At the end of its last Ordinary General Meeting, held on March 24 2023, REB members called for a synergy of action to promote national languages in Burkina Faso, and for the network to become the largest advocacy structure for the promotion and enhancement of national languages in Burkina Faso. With this in mind, REB commissioned a study, financed by the NGO Enfants du Monde (EdM), on the directory of organizations (associations and NGOs) working to promote and enhance national languages in Burkina Faso in the formal and non-formal education sector.
On April 19, 2024, a workshop was held in Ouagadougou to present and validate the results of this study, which was carried out in the thirteen (13) regions of Burkina Faso. At the end of the discussions, the results presented were validated by the Assembly. ” This report is an important document which will enable us, as state actors, to learn more about the areas of intervention of the organizations listed, and to identify potential areas of collaboration to improve the promotion of national languages”, said Mr. Charle Alfred YONI, technical support officer at the General Directorate of Non-Formal Education, representing the General Director. Participants suggested taking advantage of this mapping to draw up a directory of the NGOs and ADs identified.
REB renews its board to continue promoting national languages
At the end of the meeting to validate the report of the study on the directory of organizations (Associations and NGOs) working to promote and enhance national languages in Burkina Faso in the formal and non-formal education sector, REB member organizations held their Ordinary General Meeting for the year 2024. This was an opportunity to take stock of activities and renew the board of directors, which has been in place since May 2021.
At the end of the discussions, Mr. Ollo PALE , Country Director of the NGO Educo in Burkina Faso, was unanimously elected Chairman of the Board of Directors. The new board is composed as follows:
- Chair: NGO Educo ;
- Vice-presidency: Atelier de recherche sur l’éducation au Burkina Faso (AREB) ;
- General Secretariat: ONG Action éducation ;
- Treasury: Secrétariat national de l’éducation catholique (SNEC) ;
- Statutory auditor 01: Association Manegzanga (AM)
- Auditor 02: Fédération nationale des groupements naam (FNGN).
In addition to these organizations, the following are members of the Board of Directors: Solidar Suisse, Enfants du monde, Fondation Stromme. Mr . Dieudonné R. ZAONGO, Country Representative of Solidar Suisse and outgoing Chairman of the Board of Directors (PCA), was delighted with the expansion of the membership, the national anchoring including with MENAPLN, the activities carried out with own funds and/or co-financing, as was the case for the project to support initiatives to promote national languages which received SDC support in 2022. He also wished the incoming PCA every success. Educo’s Country Director intends to follow in his predecessor’s footsteps to ensure the success of REB’s mission.
New REB Board members elected for 03 years
