2010-2011 was another great school year for Association Burkina Canada (ABC). We were able to send 30 orphans and vulnerable youths to school in Léo, Burkina Faso, by paying for their school fees, school supplies, uniforms or clothing, exam fees, and one nutritious lunchtime meal per day.

The 15 girls and 15 boys in elementary and high school who benefited from our program also partook in a five-day summer camp with local councillors and a member of our Canadian board, Annie Asmar. The camp focused on fun and educational activities, including arts and crafts, sports, and theatre to promote safe and healthy lifestyles. Further, it created lasting friendships among the sponsored youth and between the students and Annie, thereby strengthening the ties of the ABC family.

Last year also saw the expansion of our correspondence program between Burkinabè and Canadian students from Macdonald high school in Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Québec. A total of 140 students from four classes keenly participated in letter exchanges. They learned about the culture, interests and realities of their correspondents. Despite the vastly different living conditions the participants of the two countries experience, they found that, as teenage girls and boys, they also shared many commonalities. The teachers involved shared their students’ enthusiasm for the exchanges. This year, the letter exchanges will occur among fourth grade students in Léo and those at Murielle-Dumont elementary school in Pierrefonds, Québec. The students and teachers involved are excited and motivated to participate in the 2011-2012 edition of the program!

We begin this new academic year with the hope that the 30 students we sponsor will find fulfilment and solace in their academic pursuits. We thank you for supporting our efforts to accompany these girls and boys in their academic journey and hope you will continue to take interest in our association as it begins its fourth year in the field.