01 November 2005

Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso: Burkinabe youth in the province of Kénédougou can now access training and income generation opportunities as the Poverty Reduction among Youth Project (REPAJE) has extended its reach to cover the country’s entire Hauts Bassins region.

An initiative of the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme and the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, REPAJE provides underprivileged youth with training and counselling to improve their chances of integrating into the workforce, as well as encourages self-sufficiency through the sponsorship of small grant projects.

Since the start of the project in the provinces of Houet and Tuy in 2003, two counselling centres created by REPAJE have welcomed nearly 1,400 people. With the assistance received, numerous youth have found training opportunities that provide on-the-job experience for future employment. The project has also supported many school dropouts in returning to the classroom to complete their studies.

The national coordinator of REPAJE, Mr. Basile Sanou, said the project’s expansion to Kénédougou places emphasis on strengthening the capacity of local public institutions in their efforts to lift youth out of poverty. “We help the associations reach an even greater number of young people throughout the vast Hauts Bassins region so that they can benefit from vocational training,” he said.

As the majority of organizations in the region lack funds to carry out expanded outreach initiatives, UN Volunteers work with representatives of local civil society organizations and other public partners to get the most out of current resources. The project plans to increase cooperation among the organizations to streamline activities and avoid duplication through the establishment of a common database to monitor and evaluate interventions.

Mr. Sanou said the project’s ultimate aim is to contribute to the objectives of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), in particular MDG 2: achieve universal primary education and MDG 3: promote gender equality and empower women. By preparing young people for a trade, he said, the project increases their chances to thrive professionally, adding that it could help the country’s private sector play a role in fulfilling the government’s commitment to achieve MDG 1: eradicating extreme poverty.

REPAJE also facilitated setting up a network of communicators to support awareness raising campaigns on various topics. On the issue of HIV/AIDS, volunteers distributed leaflets to 10,000 people and broadcast messages on local radio stations, thus contributing to MDG 6.

At the launch of the REPAJE extension ceremony on 19 October, the UNDP Deputy Resident Representative in Burkina Faso, Mrs. Anna Coulibaly, highlighted the potential of volunteerism in helping achieve the MDGs. “Our mandate within the UN system, beyond this project’s specific activities, is valuing and capitalizing on the experience of community mobilization based on the spirit of volunteering as a springboard for individual and collective social action,” she said.