24 May 2002

Bonn, Germany/Luxembourg : The Government of Luxembourg and United Nations Volunteers (UNV) have signed an agreement to support poor and marginalized young people living in urban areas of Burkina Faso.

Under a five-year project, approved late Thursday, UN Volunteers supported by Luxembourg are to counsel an estimated 1,200 street children, juveniles and other marginalized young people on educational and vocational options for a brighter future.

Starting in July 2002, teams of international and national UN Volunteers will set up counselling centres in Bobo-Dioulasso and Houndé, the capitals of two of the poorest provinces of the West African country: Houet and Tuy.

The main tasks of the UN Volunteers attached to the project will be to provide psychosocial help and orientation for young people and their parents; suggest means of livelihood for older youth; help national institutions to build a database on at-risk young people; develop measures to monitor young people who have completed their rehabilitation; and conduct an information campaign to counter the exploitation of young women and children.

The Government of Luxembourg has committed a total of US$2.2 million and the Government of Burkina Faso nearly US$300,000 in in-kind contributions, including the free provision of buildings to house the counselling centres. After an initial two-year phase, the project will be evaluated and recommendations made for the second, three-year phase.

"This project builds on very positive collaboration between UNV and the Government of Luxembourg in which Luxembourg finances nationals from developing countries to serve as UN Volunteers," said UNV Deputy Executive Coordinator Ad de Raad. "I believe that this project will demonstrate how, through voluntary effort, young people can become engaged and play a productive role in society."