Integrated Childhood Development, District of Barsalogho (Burkina Faso)

Main Activities

Literacy of health officials in the village, traditional birth attendants and parent-student associations (140 people)

In Burkina, the literacy cycle is organised into three sessions: the first one is a basic literacy programme in the national language; the other two are advanced and technical sessions on a topic yet to be defined (health, child's early-learning, literacy, management, craft industry, sports.)

With regards to the village's health officials and midwives (56 total), the sessions' topics will focus exclusively on health issues within the community, detecting and treating malnutrition, as well as preventive measures. They will be conducted by the district's health executive team and assisted by a teacher in literacy.

Regarding parents' associations and pupils' mothers' associations (84 people), the advanced topics will be chosen by the associations themselves. This could involve school management (income-generating activities for school funding, health solidarity funds) or literacy training for students among the parents of the pupils.

Follow-up of village health units by the district's health executive team

The administration of community health units will be carried out by the district's executive team who will identify and prioritize issues relating to training, uncovered needs and redefine a whole group of activities to put into work for each community health official.

Examples

• Awareness of the prominent illnesses (diarrhoea, malnutrition, anaemia, acute respiratory infections, malaria, etc)
• Malnutrition (examples: following up detection at home, local production of weaning foods, training of mothers.)
• A more widespread vaccination programme
• Family planning
• Detection of high-risk childbirths
• Awareness of sexually transmitted diseases
• Organization of health files to follow up on the children (birth, vaccination status, child's growth.)

In order to allow the district to strengthen, a training programme will be proposed to doctors in the health areas to implement a community-based health strategy.

Health education activities

Health education in the villages will be done through:

• A network of village health officials and traditional birth attendants
• Educational plays on topics such as nutrition, cost of health care, sexually transmitted infections, excision, etc.
• The implementation of peer groups in charge of spreading educational messages throughout the villages to other young people through various means (role plays, games, meetings...)
• Health education modules given out to primary school teachers with the aim of detecting and taking care of certain incapacitating ailments (acute rheumatoid arthritis and rheumatic cardiopathy, opthamological problems).

Educational activities relating to children's rights

They will be provided by the peer groups through educational sessions intended for the children but of which adults often also take part. The principles are taught through educational plays, according to the 'child-to-child' method.

School construction and school equipment

In accordance with the national objectives, and in order to solve the poor reception facilities, a new school complex including an early-learning centre will be built in the Foubé area.

In order to equip the existing schools with minimum standards, the project plans:

• The construction of 4 wells.
• The construction of 5 latrine blocks.
• The installation of electricity (solar energy) in 5 classrooms.
• The renovation of 4 school buildings.
• The construction of 4 housing quarters for teachers.

The 6 targeted schools will be equipped with teaching kits, and schools built by the project will also be equipped.

In order to further the social advancement of young girls, some steps will be taken with the Ministry of Education to enhance the appointment of female primary school teachers in rural schools, and the living quarters, which are often very basic, will be renovated.

Following these efforts, one moped will be provided to each school as an incentive.

The implementation of early-learning centres

The opening of a preschool classroom has been requested quickly by the parent committees. These classrooms will therefore receive a minimum of equipment, not available on site, and training sessions. The running of the early-learning centres and the preparation of teaching equipment intended for the children will be entrusted to the parents.

The implementation of income-generating activities and credit-savings insurance groups within the associations

In order to fund school activities (the running of the school, stock supplies, small equipment, building and fittings maintenance, school canteens, solidarity funds.), it is important that the associations for pupils' mothers and pupils' parents can generate income. Besides collecting within the community, other activities to generate income can be developed (honey production, poultry farming, market gardening.). The start to these activities will rely on the implementation of credit-savings insurance groups. Management training will be offered within literacy training courses.