Burkina Faso (MNN) — In Burkina Faso, 66% of young girls don’t go past a basic elementary education, according to the Education Policy and Data Center. Some girls have never even gone to school.
Going into young adulthood, these girls find it’s incredibly difficult to earn a living. Many are vulnerable to child marriage, and just over half will be married before their 18th birthday.
Cooking school at CWO’s Village of Opportunity in Burkina Faso. (Photo courtesy of Christian World Outreach)
That’s where Christian World Outreach (CWO) comes in with their Village of Opportunity (VOO) program. Girls who enroll in the program get vocational training in skills like sewing and cosmetology.
However, CWO’s Greg Yoder says VOO is more than that.
“Some of these young ladies have had to go through some pretty hard times. Alassane and Dina are our directors there. They bring those girls in and it’s like a big family is what it turns out to be. So they just care for each other and that gives opportunity to share Christ with these young ladies.”
One girl in the program named Carine enrolled at VOO in 2022 and became a Christian in November. This caused a lot of tension with her family who started harassing and persecuting her.
Then, tragedy struck. Yoder says, “Her dad was then killed in an accident, hit by a car. Her mom was a heavy drinker into alcohol, so she really didn’t want her to come back home.
Carine (Photo courtesy of Christian World Outreach)
“That’s where Dina and Alassane can step into a girl’s life like hers and just tell her they are going to be there for her, even though her family has pushed her away.”
The staff at VOO wrapped their arms around Carine and have promised to be there for her in any way she needs.
It’s one way CWO staff model what it’s like to have Christian brothers and sisters and be the Body of Christ in Burkina Faso.
Your support is needed for more female students joining VOO every year! Several students in the program graduated on June 1st and more will be joining.
“We have more applications come in every year than we can handle for students,” Yoder says. “We’re in the process of expanding the ministry and the culinary classes.”
You can give to CWO’s ministry here.
Pray for girls in VOO as they pursue vocational training to begin and deepen relationships with Jesus Christ. Pray specifically for Carine to be encouraged in her faith and strengthened to minister to others.
Header photo of Village of Opportunity graduation in Burkina Faso, 2023. (Photo courtesy of Christian World Outreach)
