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Learning in Tandem

ECW-funded transition courses by UNICEF help out-of-school and displaced children, including twin sisters, catch up on learning and return to formal school in Burkina Faso

By Education Cannot Wait

July 25^th, 2025

Adapted Story from the Field. Special Contribution by UNICEF Burkina Faso (Original).

It may be the school holidays in Burkina Faso, but 14-year-old twins Fadilatou and Neimata are not taking a break. Instead, they sit at wooden desks inside a bustling classroom in Kaya, notebooks open and pens in hand.

Their voices join those of dozens of other children – all of them displaced, all of them determined to catch up on the education that conflict once stole from them.

These holiday sessions are part of a lifeline known as transition classes, supported by Education Cannot Wait (ECW) – the global fund for education in emergencies and protracted crises in the United Nations – and delivered in partnership with UNICEF and the Government of Burkina Faso. The accelerated courses equip out-of-school and displaced children with skills to reintegrate into formal schooling, and are funded by ECW, the European Union, Japan and other strategic donors.

In classrooms like this, education is being used to light the way out of crisis and to a future filled with opportunity.

Assèta Sawadogo with her 14-year-old twin daughters, Fadilatou and Neimata, at their home in Kaya, Burkina Faso. © UNICEF/Seck

A Mother’s Determination

For Assèta Sawadogo, mother of seven, watching her twin daughters leave for school is a moment of quiet triumph.

Not long ago, the family lived in the village of Damesma, in Burkina Faso’s north-central region. But when violence came to their doorstep, they had no choice but to flee. They arrived in Kaya exhausted, unsettled and unsure of the future.

“When we fled to come [to Kaya], we were not able to re-enroll the children here because the classrooms were full.” ~Assèta, mother of the twins

The school year had already begun across the country, and Assèta could not find a place for her children – a roadblock to education that many displaced families face.

Education, she knew, couldn’t wait.

Even though their new home on the outskirts of Kaya had no electricity, Assèta refused to let the darkness stop her daughters from learning. Every evening, she powers up flashlights so the twins can revise their lessons in the evenings.

Fourteen-year-old twins Fadilatou and Neimata head to their transition classes in Kaya, Burkina Faso. © UNICEF/Seck

When she heard about the transition classes, a part of ECW's Multi-Year Resilience Programme in the country and implemented by UNICEF, she enrolled her daughters immediately.

“We didn’t like the fact that the girls were no longer going to school. Now that they’re going again, we’re happy. These remedial classes are a good thing because children won’t forget what they learned.” ~Assèta, mother of the twins

The four-month courses reach children left furthest behind in the country with the tools and support necessary to catch up on what they’ve missed and prepare them to reintegrate into the regular curriculum.

Through the transition classes, Fadilatou and Neimata – like thousands of other displaced children – have found a path back to school. Their teacher, Youssapha Ouedraogo, sees the change in them every day.

“In my class, I’ve got twin sisters Fadilatou and Neimata. They left their village Damesma to stay here in Kaya with their parents. At first, it wasn’t easy, but now they’re interested. They’re active. They participate a lot.” ~Teacher Youssapha Ouedraogo

With the support of UNICEF and partners, temporary learning spaces have been built in schools around the country, making it possible to accommodate more displaced students in classrooms.

Youssapha Ouedraogo, the twins’ teacher, in their classroom in Kaya, Burkina Faso. © UNICEF/Seck

A Country in Crisis

Burkina Faso is in the midst of a devastating humanitarian crisis. Escalating violence and insecurity have displaced over 2 million people, more than half of them children. Nearly a quarter of the population now requires humanitarian assistance due to ongoing crises. Hunger, armed conflict and forced displacement are placing children, especially girls and children with disabilities, at extreme risk.

Families are being uprooted from their homes, schools have closed, boys face a heightened risk of forced recruitment into armed groups and girls are being forced into child marriage. For many children, the promise and protection of education has been shattered.

Even before this crisis, one in two children in Burkina Faso was out of school. Today, the situation is even more dire. Children not only face physical danger, but also the emotional and psychological strain of being uprooted – sometimes multiple times.

The education system is severely strained. The security crisis has resulted in the closure of about 20% of the nation’s schools. While the Government of Burkina Faso has made important strides to prioritize education, only 24% of children will make it into secondary school.

Fourteen-year-old twins Fadilatou and Neimata outside of school in Kaya, Burkina Faso. © UNICEF/Seck

In response to this crisis, national and international partners have ramped up efforts to provide education and support services, from traditional classrooms to radio-based learning programmes reaching children in remote and conflict-affected areas.

In this challenging context, ECW-supported transition classes provide accelerated learning opportunities to help children catch up and re-enter the formal school system.

“After organizing an assessment, we equip children with school materials and tools so that they can follow the lessons, develop skills for four months and join classes in the formal education system. All children will have the opportunity to go to school.” ~Sidney Vasconcelos, UNICEF Education Specialist

Fourteen-year-old twins Fadilatou and Neimata work on a lesson during their transition classes in Kaya, Burkina Faso. © UNICEF/Seck

ECW in Burkina Faso

Since 2019, ECW and partners like UNICEF have been at the forefront of efforts to ensure that crisis-affected children in Burkina Faso can continue learning.

With a total investment of US$36.1 million to date, ECW and partner support has reached more than 450,000 children, including thousands of children with disabilities who previously had little to no access to education.

The recent extension of the Fund's Multi-Year Resilience Programme (and top-up of US$1 million, bringing total additional funding to US$14 million) supports the establishment of safe learning spaces, mental health and psychosocial services, teaching and learning materials, and the professional development of teachers. Children are now learning in secure temporary classrooms, receiving school kits and – where insecurity prevents access to formal education – tuning in to their lessons via solar or hand-crank radios.

These coordinated efforts not only bring children back into classrooms but also rebuild hope, resilience and a sense of normalcy in the midst of instability. The programme also strengthens national and local education systems, ensuring the continuity of learning despite ongoing crises.

Fourteen-year-old Fadilatou listens to a lesson during her transition class in Kaya, Burkina Faso. © UNICEF/Seck

A Brighter Future Within Reach

Back in Kaya, Assèta watches as her daughters leave for class, their notebooks in hand and dreams in their hearts. The flashlights she keeps charged at home are no longer just a tool of survival – they’re a symbol of the future her children are reclaiming, one lesson at a time.

For the twins, going to school is more than a routine.

Through these transition courses, Fadilatou and Neimata are not only resuming their studies but also rediscovering their ambitions. Surrounded by a supportive family and dedicated teachers who empower and inspire them, they dream of becoming educators themselves.

“When we didn’t go to school, we didn’t have the knowledge. Now we do. We want to become teachers to help our little brothers and other children.” ~Fadilatou, 14

In the face of crisis, this is the promise of education: to empower children not only to dream, but to lead. But for millions of children like Fadilatou and Neimata, that promise remains at risk. With continued support, more children in Burkina Faso – and in crisis-affected contexts around the world – can access the lifesaving power of a safe, quality education.

ECW calls on public and private donors to step up now and invest in education for every child whose future hangs in the balance. The time to act is not tomorrow. It is today.

Access high-resolution photos from this story and our full media library on ECW’s Flickr

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