Burkina Faso: BRAVO! register 11.000 people in 2014

In May 2014, the Government of Burkina Faso declared eight months free of charge for late registration (those that take place over 60 days from birth). BRAVO! Program is committed for a long time in support of rural municipalities in the Country, thanks to the financial support provided by Kindermissionswerk and some Italian local authorities.

During the extraordinary free campaign of registration, launched by the Government on May 8, BRAVO! helped the Government to give birth certificates to 11.000 people living in the Province of Sanguié, where more than 300.000 people are living. BRAVO! organized more than 200 Public Hearings (Audience Foraines) in all the villages. The registration teams reached the rural areas of the country where the registration rate is lower, due to the great distance from the civil status office. The BRAVO! method implemented in collaboration with the local authorities is very effective to overcome the difficulties that people meet to get the birth certificate. There are zones particularly disadvantaged and under-served not only in rural areas but also in urban areas, where low birth registration rate are noted. The opening  of registration offices nearer to the places where people live gave a fundamental contribution to a lot of registration. The campaign also highlighted the high rate of illiteracy among those who had no birth certificate.

The main beneficiaries of the registration campaign in Sanguié were minors, about 40% of total registered. The birth certificate allows children to attend school and is a necessary condition to take exams and access to the High School.

The campaign data show a high percentage of women compared to men, and this shows how, thanks to the BRAVO! Work, a significant number of mothers had the opportunity to register themselves.

Burkina Faso has one of the highest illiteracy rates in the world, having 75% of the population who can’t read nor write. Just to encourage school attendance, BRAVO! will continue its work not only with moving teams, but will also start the registration campaign in the primary schools, which in the Sanguié Province are 250.