18 June 2003

Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso: Marking African Youth Day on Monday, the Government of Burkina Faso formally launched a volunteer initiative to support poor and marginalized young people living in urban areas of the West African country.

A representative of a Burkina Faso youth non-governmental organization (NGO) distributes presents to street children in the country's second city, Bobo-Dioulasso. The gifts were part of the poverty reduction of marginalized youth project official launch on African Youth Day, 16 June.Developed jointly by the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Government of Burkina Faso and the Government of Luxembourg, the project launch was announced to a crowd of 10,000 people in the country’s second city, Bobo-Dioulasso.

"Children and youth fleeing their misery find themselves in our cities looking for a better life," said Mariam Traoret Lamizana, Burkina Faso’s Minister of Social Action and National Solidarity. "The uneducated and sometimes under-educated become lost in a world that is not prepared to receive them or offer them a better life. This [situation] is reflected in the number of youth on our streets. “

She said the Government had put in place strategies focused on youth issues, such as redefining youth law and ensuring that the socio-economic situation of youth is reflected in government activities.

Involving the participation of 1,200 young people and their parents, the project will work with uneducated and under-education youth, street children, orphans, disabled youth, unemployed teenagers, single mothers and young victims of abuse. Two counselling centres, located in Bobo-Dioulasso and Houndé, the capitals of two of the poorest provinces of the West African country, Houet and Tuy, will provide services to the youth participants and their parents in a number of areas, including literacy training, employability skills, money management and counselling.

International and national UN Volunteers will work in the centres and coordinate their activities with civil societies, national institutions and other youth projects based in the cities. The UN Volunteers will also focus on promoting volunteerism and creating information networks on the prevention of child exploitation and reduction of young women's susceptibility to sexual transmitted diseases such as HIV/AIDS.

Local committees composed of representatives from youth associations, decentralized state agencies, Coopération Luxembourgeoise, UNV and UNDP will oversee the overall coordination of the project.

"These interventions are all in place with the goal of facilitating the youth's access to professional training, employment and a better perspective of the future," said Elom Pedro-Ayaovi, UNV project manager.

The Government of Luxembourg has committed a total of US$2.2 million and the Government of Burkina Faso US$300,000 in in-kind contributions, including the free provision of buildings to house the counselling centres and support to members of the local committees.

Since 1975, more than 1,100 UN Volunteers have served in Burkina Faso on projects combating HIV/AIDS, promoting national volunteerism and encouraging community development.

Addressing the Minister, Robert Da, the UNDP Assistant Resident Representative, said this initiative strengthens UNV's commitment to her country's development. "I can assure you that the UN Volunteers will do their best so that this project yields results for the benefit of our youth."