Pamoja Burkina
Reflect was introduced in Burkina Faso in 1998 and has been promoted by Pamoja Burkina, the Association for Non Formal Education (APENF), the Swiss Cooperation and Aide et Action. Pamoja Burkina was set up in 2002 and formalised in 2006 with the estbalishment of an Advisary Council, followed by offical recognition in 2007. There are 100 members made up of 73 individuals, 25 associations and 2 NGOs (figures from 2008). Pamoja Burkina is a member of the steering group for the elaboration of the National Programme for the Acceleration of Litereacy (PRONAA) in Burkina Faso by 2015 .
Reflect in Burkina
The Reflect approach is increasingly popular judging by the rapid growth in the number of centresin spite of the limited funds forthcoming from the national Fund for Literacy and Non Formal Education (FONAENF) in 2010. Pamoja Burkina works in alliance with APENF to support literacy providers in coordinatig Reflect circles, of which there are 924, 729 financed by FONAENF and 195 by APENF. These circles are run by over 100 civil society organisations. The domains of intervention covered by these literacy initiatives are principally civic education and human rights, income generation, l'eco-citizenship, reproductive health, hygiene, nutrition, HIV&AIDS, agriculture and animal husbandry. The Reflect approach was presented to mebers of the FONAENF Board as a way of advocating for increased resources to be allocated to interventions using Reflect.
Activities in 2010
in 2010 Pamoja Burkina carried out and documented a study of Reflect in Burkina. An international workshop brought together key education stakeholders (central and decentralised state services, NGOs, communes, members of national Pamojas from Benin, Mali, the Gambia, Ghana, Guinea Bissau, in addition to representatives from Mauritania) and the workshop discussions enriched the research document. (Download the report)
Pamoja Burkina also participated in the Accra NFE policy analysis workshop to share the experence of French speaking countries with the Englsih speaking country representatives. Pamoja Burkina also wored with National EFA Coalition (CCEB - Cadre de Concertation en Education de Base) to mark the Global Week of Action 2010 for whihc the themes was Literacy and women's empowerment.
The challenge...
While Reflect is an undoubted success in Burkina, the operation of Pamoja Burkina faces a number of challenges, mostly due to the lack of a permanent funded secretariat and lack of funding for implementing its action plan. This is resulting in some discouragment among members, as demonstrated by a drop in subscription payments, since their expectations of support remain largely unmet.
