Displaced Girl Safi Resumes Education in Ouahigouya

Seven-year-old Safi fled her home village of Hita due to insecurity, where she found refuge with her family in Ouahigouya, Burkina Faso’s North region. Now, she is in first grade at a school located within an internally displaced persons’ site.

 “When I was in Hita, I didn't go to school. I'm happy to be enrolled in school here. The teacher shows us how to read and write,” she says with a smile.

Thanks to the temporary learning spaces, known by their French acronym ETAs, set up at Wend Pingré A Primary School, Safi is now receiving the same education as children from the host community. This was made possible through support from the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief), which funded UNICEF’s efforts to build and equip 27 semi-finished classrooms, easing the strain on overcrowded schools.

A Father's Hope for His Daughter's Future

Safi’s father, Belem Abdoulaye, remembers the night they escaped like it was yesterday.

“We were sleeping when the gunshots started. I didn’t know where the danger was coming from. I just grabbed my wife and kids and ran,” he says.

For three days, the family walked, not knowing what lay ahead. Along the way, Abdoulaye’s wife, pregnant and exhausted, went into labor. With no clinic or supplies, it was an elderly woman among the displaced who stepped in to help bring the baby into the world.

Upon their arrival in Ouahigouya, the Belem family was welcomed by an acquaintance, an act of kindness that reflects the deep sense of solidarity shown by host communities toward displaced families.

“We were first taken to a school, but it was already too full. Some of us had to sleep outside,” Abdoulaye says. “Eventually, people began finding places to rent. It wasn’t until later that the children got a place to study.”

As he enrolled his daughter in school, Abdoulaye understands how important the ETAs are. “I enrolled Safi in school for her to learn new things and benefit from a quality education. My greatest wish is that one day, she will obtain degrees, have job opportunities and become a civil servant,” he says.

A Shared Commitment to Keep Children Learning

Facing acute lack of school infrastructure, the Ministry of Education and UNICEF have launched innovative approaches such as training teachers on managing alternate classes in emergencies to better absorb the high influx of displaced students.

“The training showed us how to split the class into two groups so every child gets a real chance to learn,” says Mariam Bouda, Safi’s teacher. “Even with limited space, we follow the same lessons and timetable as regular schools.”

For Sahada Zongo, principal of Wend Pingré A and a parent himself, the mission is personal.

“This could easily be my child,” he says. “As teachers, we have to stay strong—for them. We must make sure these children don’t fall behind. They deserve a chance to thrive,” He says.

In regions affected by conflict, the Government of Burkina Faso, UNICEF, and partners continue working together to ensure children don’t lose their right to education.

Because no matter the hardship, every child deserves to learn.