Ambassador Mushingi went to the city of Dédougou (Boucle du Mouhoun Region) on March 29th to attend the program launch of “Second Chance.” This program was implemented by the association IQRA, a Romanization of the Arabic verb ‘read’, and financed by the United States. The program’s goal is to bring basic education into the region’s Quranic schools by transliterating the Djula language into Arabic script. The Quranic instructors are trained in pedagogy, peace, citizenship and administrative management. Young people living in the streets and not attending the Quranic schools are also welcome to the program. These individuals are socially reintegrated through technical training such as mechanic education. Thanks to the Embassy and partner nation NGOs, IQRA will make literate 3,168 students and 80 koranic teachers. In his speech, the Ambassador explained that “Second Chance” has the objective of countering violent extremism.
He expressed this through the linkage of student vulnerability with the receipt of speeches from those who seek evil. The Burkinabe Minister of Education, who was participating in the visit, saluted the initiative and thanked the U.S. Embassy for the support.
In the afternoon, Ambassador Mushingi had a discussion with a group of women farmers who are beneficiaries of practical training to improve their agricultural productivity and crop transformation. He also visited a warehouse and met with producers who discussed training methods and best practices for storage and preservation of agricultural products.
