Over the past two years, the city of Kaya in Sanmatenga Province, Burkina Faso, has become a refuge to hundreds of families fleeing conflict in village areas such as Dablo, Barsalogho, Pissila, Tougouri or Yalgho.

This influx of internally displaced persons has increased the city’s population, placing strain on its schools and leading to overcrowded classrooms. This was the backdrop to an advocacy initiative that set in motion a series of interventions that have changed the lives of many of Kaya’s displaced children.

Advocating for change

In 2023, the National Education for All Coalition, an Education Out Loud partner in Burkina Faso, produced a video capturing the harsh reality of Kouim Kouli B, a primary school created in shelters to receive displaced students and renowned for its challenging learning conditions.

The video, which featured the experiences of both students and teaching staff at the school and was shared with local government officials and NGOs, served as a compelling tool to support advocacy efforts to secure better learning conditions for displaced children at the school, address the shortage of proper classrooms and ensure that the education system could cope with the influx of students.

In its advocacy efforts, the coalition had audiences with the mayor of Kaya as well as the governor of the North-Central region, of which Kaya is the capital city, and the regional director of education, with a focus on Kouim Kouli B in particular.

Positive results

Local government and NGOs responded positively to the education coalition’s call for change.

Temporary classrooms were built, providing immediate relief from overcrowding, and policies were adjusted to accommodate more children in existing classrooms, ensuring that displaced pupils had access to quality education.

With the advocacy of the National Education for All Coalition, supported by Education Out Loud, as well as the commitment of the local government and development partners, tangible improvements have been made in the lives of the displaced children at Kouim Kouli B primary school.