The regional technical services of Bankui from the Ministry of Family and Solidarity visited several structures in Dédougou on October 6, 2026, to support initiatives that strengthen the autonomy and resilience of vulnerable populations. These structures include the Notre-Dame de la Visitation reception and training center, the workshop of tailor Mamadou Ilboudo, and the collective field of internally displaced women and host women in Moundasso.
The Notre-Dame de la Visitation center, created in 2004, has become a framework for training and personal reconstruction. In the 2025-2026 school year, at least 292 girls were accompanied by the center. The center offers various training programs, including sewing, dyeing, weaving, beauty care, local product transformation, and secretarial work. The goal is to give girls the means to support themselves.
The center's responsible, Nathalie Dakio, explains that their targets are girls in difficult situations. Two boarding schools allow for the care of residents according to their situations. One welcomes single mothers or pregnant girls, while the other is for young girls in difficulty who need protection and accompaniment.
Beneficiaries acknowledge that their stay at the center opens a new page in their lives. They learn a trade, acquire skills, and regain confidence in themselves. The center also invests in keeping girls in school. About thirty young girls benefited from academic support in the past year, and ten obtained diplomas, including three in the baccalaureate and seven in the Brevet d'études du premier cycle (BEPC).
Mamadou Ilboudo, a tailor with a motor disability, has been working since 1999. He makes chairs, vehicle seats, and motorcycle saddles. Despite the challenges posed by his disability, he affirms that his work and disability go together. However, he deplores the prejudices that people with disabilities face in the professional environment.
Ilboudo's activity allows him to support his family, ensure his children's schooling, and cover health expenses and current charges. As president and provincial coordinator of people with disabilities in Mouhoun, he encourages his peers to learn a trade. He and his comrades benefit from financial and technical support from the provincial direction.
In Moundasso, a collective agricultural field, called the "field of peace," brings together internally displaced women and host community women. They grow various products, including beans, peanuts, and sorrel. The goal is to improve household food. The coordinator, Clotilde Sawadogo, recalls that the participants initially had difficulty obtaining condiments.
Key points
- Supporting vulnerable populations through initiatives that promote autonomy and resilience
- Providing training and economic opportunities to empower women and people with disabilities
- Strengthening solidarity and social cohesion through collective agricultural projects
