Yennenga Progress’ goal is to contribute to ensuring an inclusive and equivalent education of good quality and promote lifelong learning for all. In any education initiative, the students need to know there is a next step, in order to be able to relate to the future. What happens after completing the education? Which opportunities are there for further studies, work and dreams?
The Good Village therefore ensures that education is available for lifelong learning. We also ensure access to clean water and food, and the other fundamental human needs. In that way, the student can focus on studying and reaching their dreams.
The team of teachers in the village continues to be dedicated and goal-oriented, and the work process is based on collegial learning. Yennenga’s Swedish teacher-trainers is on-site regularly on demand from the local team of teachers and works closely with the group during continued education days and through workshops. This presence and direct coaching provides, among other things, important moral support for our school’s way of working and method, which strongly deviates from the traditional public system. The presence also provides important input in the continued development of the work. The team has started working on developing routines for evaluation and information transfer within the teacher team.
The school is being expanded with one class at a time. We now have from 1st to 8th grade.
We haven’t had issues with the children not being able to come to (pre)school other than isolated instances when cattle have escaped and needs to be caught or similar.
There are children in the school with such difficult home conditions that their opportunity for safe schooling is affected. Therefore, we have developed a plan with the teachers and the social coordinator, for support education, apprenticeships and extra efforts for these children. Yennenga Progress is also establishing a list of associations and institutions in the region that specifically works with various forms of disabilities, so that we can give individuals with special needs the right kind of support.
The long-term goal with a tuition-free school will be achieved only when Burkina Faso will introduce school vouchers (government funding per individual student). Until then, Yennenga Progress has its fees at the lowest levels in order not to outcompete the local and existing efforts.
In our schools, the teaching is based on three key concepts: closeness to the pupil, activity creation and language development. These concepts forms the foundation for teaching in all subjects from preschool to junior high school. We regularly arrange continued education opportunities and coaching by visiting teachers for all teachers at the Yennenga school.The
teaching team in the village is dedicated and goal oriented, and the work process is based on collegial learning.
The childrens health is crucial for a good learning environment. The preschool and school serve nutritious food daily. Preventive and clinical school health care is offered to all children. Everyone has access to clean drinking water as well as hand hygiene and dental hygiene. The toilets at secondary school are divided between girls and boys. We have built playgrounds to allow for physical play, as well as shade for rest and conversation. During the weekly meetings with the teaching group, the issue of children with special needs is constantly raised.
The educational activities are designed to strengthen the rights of the child, not only in school but also in their local communities. The work is based on the children’s right to education, as well as areas such as security, family and health. Yennenga Progress has zero tolerance towards discrimination and constantly works with awareness and understanding for how all staff should act and how a positive, inclusive culture is maintained in all educational institutions
The women in the village of Nakamtenga voiced the need for better education for their children and knew the existing school system made it very hard for their children to succeed and create a better future.
The overall purpose is to run a primary and secondary school, which meets every child's real needs. A school that helps increase children's creativity, curiosity and desire to learn. The goal of Yennenga's schools is to provide real, useful knowledge that is necessary for continued schooling but also for everyday life outside the school and the development of the country.
Lifelong learning, the opportunity to take the next step in their education, and to receive specialized training in all different vocational areas needed for the development of society is fundamental for us to encourage, support and create.
At the community college, opportunity is created in the meeting between individuals to exchange experiences and skills that strengthen the knowledge and opportunity for the individual to be a part of an active democracy as included, educated and culturally understanding citizens. Education for adults and young adults at the community college makes it possible to build the local community on democratic values.
We are convinced of the importance of access to books, for the development of the society and children's possibility to continue with their studies. We want to focus on encouraging the language on broader levels, arouse curiosity and offer possibilities to development by reading, listening and writing.
The purpose of the library project is to awaken the child's and youth's desire to read both for pleasure and obtaining some knowledge.
Knowledge is a human right. With an IT initiative in the village, we open the world and create closeness to all the knowledge and information that is available. In a country like Burkina Faso with very little industry, and expensive import and export routes, investing in tech can also mean the solution to job-creating and development.
Percentrage of children that begin to attend primary school: 27,0 % (2015)
Teacher/pupil ratio: 41 pupils/teacher /in Sweden 12 pupils/ teacher)
Literacy, women: 26,2 % (2014)
Literacy, men: 44,4 % (2014)
Literacy among youth 50,1 % (2014)
Percentage women in parliament:11 % (2014) – in Sweden 44 %
If you work in the field of education or have experience that you would like to share to develop our different educational departments you are welcome to join our educational expert team or just contact us to learn more about the possibilities!
Yes, there is always a need of money to continue the work on developing the school and our other educational departments, as well as spreading the model so that more children and adults can thrive and experience lifelong learning! We need more school sponsors and donations! You can donate here