Burkina Faso / Endogenous canteen: Mobilisation for quality education in Burkina Faso
On 5 September 2023 in Boussé, education stakeholders and communities from the province of Kourweogo came together to work together to improve the quality of education in Burkina Faso, with a focus on promoting endogenous canteens. Following similar forums in the provinces of Kadiogo and Oubritenga, the aim of this event was to promote endogenous canteens in primary schools in the province of Kourweogo, under the theme «Promoting endogenous canteens in primary education» Project to improve the quality of education through school-community collaboration
The aim of the forum was to encourage community participation and the mobilisation of resources for school feeding in the province. At the forum, participants took stock of the current situation of the endogenous canteen, which has proved to be in deficit. Despite the efforts of the government, partners and educational communities, only 73 meals were provided on average during the 2022-2023 school year, instead of the 140 required, covering only 52.24% of school feeding needs.
To overcome obstacles such as limited community mobilisation for production, lack of water for farming, and non-compliance with food rations, the stakeholders proposed a number of solutions. These include promoting agricultural and market garden production, involving the community in canteen management, and developing initiatives to mobilise material, financial and technical resources for school feeding.
In line with the Project to improve the quality of education through school-community collaboration (PAQER-CEC), the province’s school headmasters, school management committees (COGES), trade unions and opinion leaders have undertaken to organise general assemblies to collect foodstuffs, to support school fields, to involve the COGES in managing the foodstuffs collected, and to undertake boreholes for schools.
To meet the challenge of an operational endogenous canteen, Mr Siaka BARRO, provincial high commissioner, recommended that parents pool their efforts.
