Burkina Faso lies in West Africa's dry, flat savannah belt and is one of the poorest countries in the world (fifth from bottom).

The situation of children

High level of illiteracy, especially amongst girls, threat of HIV/AIDS, early marriages and forced marriages, circumcision of girls - these are just a few of the abuses of children's rights which occur in Burkina Faso.

Health
There is a shortage of health stations, clean drinking water and food. Many children die of malaria, diarrhoea and respiratory diseases. Even though it is forbidden by law, female circumcision is still commonly practiced. The HIV infection rate is growing rapidly.

Education

In spite of free schooling and compulsory school attendance, the proportion of children entering school is very low at 42% of boys and 31% of girls. There is a shortage of buildings and teaching staff: a primary school class contains 55 to 60 pupils. Schoolchildren in rural areas have a six to eight kilometre journey to school.

Living conditions
In rural areas, there is scarcely any electricity, clean drinking water, latrines or waste disposal. Soil erosion, overgrazing and desertification are aggravating factors.

With approx. €15,000, Plan International is supporting 24 villages in setting up communal gardens. These include school gardens and gardens used by groups of women. The produce from the school gardens is used to give the pupils nourishing meals.