Ambassador Attends Handover Ceremony for Schools Financed by the U.S. Department of Labor

On March 28, Ambassador Jeanine Jackson joined Minister of Basic Education and Literacy Odile Bonkoungou/Balima to celebrate the handover of 7 satellite schools and 13 non-formal education centers built under the Training and Education Against Trafficking (TREAT) program.  The program was funded by the U.S. Department of Labor ($3,000,000) and the Ministry of Basic Education ($400,000), and was implemented by Save the Children Canada and a local organization called Training for Development, which teaches technical skills and English to students in Burkina Faso.  The TREAT program has helped at least 2,285 children, and has worked to prevent children from becoming victims of trafficking by giving students economic opportunities.  During the handover ceremony, Ambassador Jackson called attention to the continued cooperation between the Governments of Burkina Faso and the U.S. through programs, such as TREAT, that will improve basic education.