Digital technology to support education
Burkina Faso, like many African countries, has a low education rate due to a number of factors.
The lack of infrastructure and teaching materials are among the causes that have been identified. Burkina Faso has been facing terrorism for more than five years, leading to population displacement. Children and women are the first victims of this insecurity.
In November 2022, more than 5,700 schools were closed in Burkina Faso due to the security situation marked by jihadist attacks, depriving one million pupils of access to education.
These pupils are confined to IDP (Internally Displaced Persons) camps with no possibility of continuing their studies.
To give pupils access to quality education, whether they live in urban or rural areas, we created the DEF Burkina Faso foundation, whose main objective is to develop digital infrastructure and solutions to help facilitate access to education for all.
We are convinced that digital technology is a tool that can help improve the level and accessibility of education.
From now on, you can take action with us by supporting our projects.
Anthonie DE LIEFDE, Chairman of the Foundation
Management of the Digital Education Foundation Burkina Faso, a Dutch foundation(KVK 88439135 | RSIN number: 864626010)
Management of the Digital Education Foundation Burkina Faso, a Dutch foundation(KVK 88439135 | RSIN number: 864626010)
A. MEMBERS OF THE FOUNDATION BOARD
1. Chairman: Mr Anthonie De Liefde
2. Member: Mr Erik Rörsch
3. Member: Lara Francisco Pedro
B. ADVISORY COMMITTEE
1. Chairman: Mr Mahamadi Sakande
2. Member: Mrs Nadège Tiendrebeogo
About us
The foundation is run by volunteers who do not receive any compensation in any form. Only demonstrably incurred costs can be reimbursed. The same applies to the members of the advisory board.
The foundation’s resources are obtained through financial donations and donations of equipment such as notebook computers and network equipment. The funds received will only be used for expenses that fit within the foundation’s policy as laid down in the articles of association. This could include, for example, salaries of teachers, costs for the transport of equipment received in Europe, housing costs of the learning environment and software licenses, although the foundation’s policy is to use license-free software as much as possible.
The foundation publishes a financial overview every year that provides insight into income and expenditures as well as the amount of reserves. The first time this will happen over the year 2024.
Policy plan
Stichting Digital Education Foundation Burkina Faso
- General
The Digital Education Foundation Burkina Faso, henceforth DEF Burkina was established in November 2022. The reason is that the initiators have found that the education situation in Burkina Faso is dramatic. There has been unrest and basically war in Burkina Faso for 30 years with the vast majority of schools, over 7000, closed. There are large numbers of refugees seeking to escape the mostly jihadist violence. The closure of the schools has a major impact as many young people cannot get an education, or only a very limited one. Currently, large parts of rural Burkina Faso are controlled by radical groups, causing great lawlessness with dire consequences.
Digital technologies offer opportunities to still start teaching and therefore give future prospects, In addition, it makes other sources of information available to the target group. Reade more…
What guides our actions
Our history
Since 2014 and with the support of companies and people of good will in the Netherlands, my company has been providing digital equipment and solutions to schools and pupils to enable them to access online digital libraries.
In order to extend our actions and enable many pupils to benefit from digital tools for education, DEF Burkina Faso was created in the Netherlands and in Burkina Faso.
Thanks to Ton de Liefde, Erik Rörsch, Wentzo Wireless (Netherlands) and Wireless Leiden (Netherlands).
Our mission
To contribute to the establishment of quality education accessible to all in Burkina Faso through the use of digital media.
Our vision
To act as a mobilising force for the use of digital media as teaching aids to improve education in Burkina Faso.
Our values
We are committed to embodying our values in our work with schools, students and teachers.
We strive to be inspiring, inclusive, innovative and influencing and to act with transparency in everything we do.
Our decisions and actions are guided by the following values:
Inspiring: This value represents the raison d'être of our foundation. Our actions must inspire students and educational staff. We will encourage and support our staff, giving them the means to do an excellent job.
Inclusive: We will work to champion equal access to education, offering inclusive solutions that meet the diverse needs of all students, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Innovative: We create innovative digital media to be used as teaching aids to improve the accessibility and quality of education.
Impactful: We will ensure that everything we do has a real positive impact on pupils' education.
Transparent: We are committed to sound management, respect for ethics, fairness between employees, the creation of lasting bonds of trust with our partners and transparency of information about the Foundation.
What makes us different
We innovate
To improve education, we create tailor made innovative digital solutions
We build
We build schools adapted to the use of digital tools for education
We educate
We educate through our e-learning platform for students
We help
We support the implementation of innovative solutions and services for education