BWEF News
September 2023
Our national NGO, BWEF Faso is now up and running. The new association, which will help us carry out our work in Burkina, is currently reviewing requests for aid from over 45 young women for the school year 2023. Mariam Savadogo is BWEF Faso’s new president and Christiane Toé is treasurer. They have been representing Chance for Change and BWEF respectively since 2011.
Christiane Toé (left), Treasurer and Mariam Savadogo, (centre) President of the newly established BWEF Faso. Christine Gnoumou (right) continues as BWEF’s only salaried employee.
April 2023
Meet BWEF’s Consultative Group consisting of two generations of women; members of Christiane Toé's former association of university women and our graduates. The Group is a significant step in turning over our operations to our partners in Burkina Faso. For the school year 2023-24, this Group will nominate candidates for aid and propose budgets for them. We expect that in the course of 2023, a national NGO will be established that will officially accept these responsibilities.
The Consultative Group, from left to right, Haoua and Sonya, graduates, Armata, Edith, Fred, Christiane, older generation. Then more graduates, Ursula, Raja, (Christine) and Hélène.
March 2023
Our thanks to The Hirschmann Stiftung Foundation for their generous grant of 10,000 CHF. The Swiss-based charitable foundation is active in supporting the education of talented young people and young adults. We are delighted that The Hirschmann Foundation is able to help support BWEF students too, like Zoulfadzou (pictured here), who is in her first year of agricultural studies.
OCTOBER 2022
Several new BWEF beneficiaries received used laptops that were donated to BWEF by UNOG as well as Symbiotics Group SA in Geneva. The laptops were sent to Burkina Faso and then distributed among new Burkinabé students starting university now, who will be supported by BWEF. During the BWEF orientation session at the end of September, these girls also benefited from a course on how to use a computer which was led by a locally recommended computer expert.
We think the joy of receiving the laptops is well reflected in their smiles.
August 2022
BWEF has been supported 34 young girls in Burkina Faso in 2022, with tuition fees, supplies, lunch, transportation, housing, health and hygiene during their higher education. Colette is one of them, here in her house in Ouagadougou. Colette's mother sells charcoal to feed her family. Her father died nine years ago. She has two brothers and two sisters; all four are unemployed. Colette studies communication and would like to be a radio or television presenter. Her mother is proud of her.
Here is Colette’s modest family house in Ouagadougou.
APRIL 2022
Haoua, the first of our students to successfully complete her master’s, told us she always wanted to do humanitarian work. In 2021, using her own savings, Haoua organized a group of volunteer women donors to help people in need in a dozen villages around Ouagadougou. The donors gave food as well as support to children to go to primary school. The association has an English name, “Just a Smile”. They now want to expand to work with orphanages to support orphaned children, so they are going to establish themselves officially.
Haoua wrote to us. “BWEF not only allowed me to have a degree and a job, but also instilled in me a humanitarian spirit that gives me such joy. Thank you so much!”
A volunteer from Haoua’s association “Just a Smile” helping out a community member.
February 3, 2022
Christine, BWEF’s local representative, reports that although the north and east of the country remain violent, life is returning to normal in the capital following the coup. In Ouaga, she was able to distribute another anti-Covid aid package for our current beneficiaries. 18 girls received a sack of rice, a bottle of cooking oil and soap. These supplies will also be available for our beneficiaries in Koudougou and Bobo Dioulasso later this week.
January 2022
Fred Eckhard, the former spokesman of UN secretary-general Kofi Annan, has become a Chevalier de la Légion d’honneur in France’s 1st January 2022 honours list. The Legion of Honour, France’s highest order of merit, was created in 1802 by Napoléon Bonaparte to recognize special merit in the service of the country. It is Fred’s work setting up and running BWEF in Burkina over the last 11 years that is honoured. Congratulations Fred! Well deserved.
September 2021
BWEF donors reacted within 24 hours to an appeal to equip Mariam, one of our new entrants who is a victim of polio, with a motorbike. Until now she has got around on a three-wheel bicycle. A board member suggested buying Mariam a motorbike, and a special collection raised enough for a new lightweight wheelchair as well. The National Centre for the Handicapped in Ouagadougou adapted the motorbike to a three-wheel version and showed her how to use it. Mariam is delighted to be riding her new motorbike which was delivered in September.
august 2021
BWEF voted enthusiastically to adopt an entire women’s soccer team as beneficiaries, providing them with school supplies for the school year 2021-22. The project started back in April 2021 when Fred challenged Boubié, the brother in law of one our former beneficiaries, to start a girls’ soccer team. Boubié is a policeman and coach of the police soccer team in Ouagadougou. He also coaches a boys’ football team on condition that they remain in school. He took up Fred’s challenge with the same condition to keep the girls in school.
September 2021
With funding from the Bellevue Municipality of Geneva, we organised a 3-day computer course for our first-year students. Professional IT trainer Mr. Thierry Compaore was introduced to us by the French Institute in Ouagadougou. His company, FasoBrico, handles their computers.
He had hired a large room; he also hired computers for the girls who didn’t yet have them from us. (Our next computer shipment should arrive before Christmas.) Each student received a certificate on completion of the course.
June 2021
Pupils from the Stella Maris Middle school in Saint-Quay-Portrieux presented Fred Eckhard with a cheque for 500 euros. They had skipped their usual lunch on good Friday for a plate of rice, donating the money the school had saved to BWEF. The school has been supporting BWEF with their annual “Day of Solidarity – Operation Bowl of Rice” since 2013. Thank you Stella Maris!
Stella Maris Middle school pupils with their principal, Fabienne Jouan (far left) and teacher Gwenola Woodhead (far right). Photo: Lionel Le Gocquen, La Presse d'Armor
april 2021
BWEF launched a second emergency campaign, to help the 31 young women whose education we are currently funding, building on the success of our 2020 campaign. Our needy young women still need soap, cereal and cooking oil as we continue to finance their education. Until now, no COVID-19 vaccines have been available in Burkina Faso.
Fatouma receives supplies of soap, cereal and cooking oil in Bobo-Dioulasso
MARCH 2021
In 2020, BWEF obtained a grant from the UN 1% fund to refurbish and modernize the dressmaking school of Noëlie Zongo who has helped some of our students in Burkina Faso. The UN fund is financed by employees who voluntarily contribute 1% of their salaries to development projects The work was completed in February 2021. Read about the project here
march 2021
President Fred Eckhard presented his president’s report on BWEF’s 2020 activities to a meeting of the Geneva board held via Zoom. Read the report here
JANUARY 2021
Despite the challenge of the Covid pandemic, 2020 was a very successful year in terms of fundraising for BWEF. Thanks to our generous donors, we raised the equivalent of €50,000 via our three branches, allowing us to take on 31 students in Burkina Faso for the 2020-21 academic year. We’re proud to announce that in the 10 years since BWEF was founded, this means we will have funded the higher education of 84 young women from underprivileged backgrounds.
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2020
Christine Gnoumou, our local representative, visited the cities of Bobo-Dioulasso and Koudougou on her first follow-up mission to see how our beneficiaries outside the capital are faring. BWEF President Fred Eckhard would usually make his annual visit to Burkina at the beginning of each year, but he sent Christine to touch base with our young women because of Covid. Read Christine’s blog reports.
Christine, in the blue and white dress, with BWEF beneficiaries in Bobo-Dioulasso
5 December 2020
Our latest computer distribution started at the end of October. In this round, eight students received one, including Stéphanie, a first-nursing student. The refurbished laptops and bags are donations from the Rennes school district in France.
29 September 2020
BWEF have chosen eleven young women as new recipients of financial aid for the school year 2020-21.
For the first time, we invited them to an orientation program, held at the newly renovated French Institute in downtown Ouagadougou. Each girl was given a manual explaining how we work and what the benefits are, such as full medical cover. The girls also received a membership card to the Institute, giving them access to the air-conditioned library, with free wi-fi.
Christiane, standing, the Board member who handles our affaires in Burkina Faso, walked the girls through the manual.
29 June 2020
BWEF last week started distributing food supplies to its graduates, as well as its current students. Christine, in our Ouagadougou office has contacted all 23 graduates in Koudougou, Bobo-Dioulasso and Koudougou. A surprising number (all but 4) indicated a need for food.
9 June 2020
At the weekend, BWEF worked with our partner, Solidarité, to get the second distribution of maize and soap underway in Bobo Dioulasso.
Solidarité’s Catherine Yameogo had bought the supplies. One of our students, Thérèse, delivered a 100 kg sack of maize, 5 litres of cooking oil, soaps and money for masks to 9 girls.
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Thérèse (Master's student in law) (center). With Sita, left, third-year nursing, and Fatoumata, right, first-year accounting.
26 MAY 2020
BWEF is proud to announce that our April appeal for funds to help our beneficiaries cope with the challenge of COVID-19 in Burkina Faso has raised a total 6,000 CHF/euros/dollars. The focus of our campaign was to provide soap and masks to help protect the girls and their families from the virus. But thanks to the generosity of donors, we have been able to add supplies of maize and oil to help them through these difficult months.
Christine delivers supplies to Anayiss who is in her first year of business management at university in Ouaga. Photo Abdoulaye Bamba
17 APRIL 2020
The Burkina government has updated the number of deaths from coronavirus to 32, reporting a total 546 cases (down from previous) and 257 recoveries. All citizens will be required to wear a mask to protect against coronavirus starting from April 27. Government spokesman Remis Dandjinou said that the government would ensure distribution in sufficient quantities across the country before that date.
Source: Johns Hopkins Coronovirus Research Center
6 April 2020
The Burkina government is currently reporting 20 new coronovirus cases, with 384 in total and 19 deaths.
Each of our 25 beneficiaries, like Zénabou, a final year dressmaking student, will receive two bars of soap per week for themselves and their families. We have also been advising the girls, by WhatsApp, how to stay safe and prevent the virus from spreading. It’s a programme we expect to run for at least three months.
28 March 2020
The results of the test for national service in nursing are out. Our beneficiary Marie has passed and now has a job for life. We paid for two years of law school for her and she failed twice. She said she would like to try nursing and she finished three years of nursing school heavily pregnant with a second child but was near the top of her class. Now married, two babies and a job. Congratulations to her and to us!
12 March 2020
Diane, who recently defended her Master's thesis in accounting, has won a government fellowship to do post-Master's study in financial management with a guarantee of a government job for life after she finishes.
4 MARCH 2020
Our beneficiary Jacqueline has just defended her Master’s thesis on Environment and Sustainable Development, obtaining an excellent 17/20 grade.
28 February 2020
Pélagie, a beneficiary since 2011, won a European Union fellowship to do a Master's study in Water Management--the EU gave one grant per country in Africa and Pélagie got it for Burkina Faso. We paid for her undergraduate degree in hydrology.
17 FEBRUARY 2020
Anne Penketh, BWEF (Geneva) board member, visited Dulaney High School in Baltimore to talk to pupils about Burkina Faso. Their French club did a video to introduce themselves to our beneficiaries.
19 NOVEMBER 2019
Pupils at the Dulaney High School in Baltimore USA who are in a French club have prepared a short video to introduce their school to our beneficiaries in Burkina.
3 August 2019
One of our students, Diane, successfully defended her Masters in accountancy and obtained 17 out of 20 marks. We are proud of her excellent achievement.
22 July 2019
The Ouagadougou tech company Fasodia held a three-day computer training session for 19 BWEF grantees, free of charge. The girls from Ouagadougou, Koudougou and Bobo-Dialasso brought their own computers to the course.
14 June 2019
Nane Annan, honorary president of BWEF Geneva, addressed the annual conference of the global women’s network Féminin Pluriel in Geneva and explained how BWEF is helping young women reinvent themselves. Click here for her full speech.
29 September 2018
BWEF Geneva held its first fundraising brunch at the Brasserie des Halles de L’Ile in Geneva.
