Burkina Faso: IGD and Fondation Hirondelle strengthen the leadership of fifteen young project leaders

The Institut Général Tiémoko Marc Garango pour la gouvernance et le développement (IGD) and the Fondation Hirondelle are training fifteen young project leaders as part of the "Jeunes leaders" project. The first training session began this Monday, January 15, 2024 in Ouagadougou. This first training session will last two weeks. The project is financed by the European Union for a period of three years.

This project aims to strengthen democracy and civic inclusion among young people in Burkina Faso. More specifically, it aims to improve young people's leadership in public life. Through coaching and training activities, the project intends to help the emergence of young leaders capable of impacting their society in various fields, notably entrepreneurial, civic, sporting, cultural and others.

These young people will attend six training sessions over the course of the year. The training will focus on three modules. The first is the State and governance. The second deals with human rights and gender issues. The third will deal with business management issues.

"This training aims to improve young people's leadership in public life. And it concerns young people in all fields. Because it's all very well to be an entrepreneur, but you have to be an entrepreneur who is aware of his duties. You have to be an entrepreneur capable of political and economic analysis. In addition to theoretical training, they have coaches to support them," says Marino Compaoré, coordinator of the Jeunes leaders project.

"I hope that, at the end of this training, we'll be able to present projects that have a much greater impact in terms of quality for the population," said training participant and Bobo-Dioulasso helmet caravan promoter Joseph Landry Coulibaly.

For trainer Dr Samiratou Dipama, it is necessary to equip young entrepreneurs with notions of the state, the nation, the economy, the law and so on. She believes that this will enable young people to assert themselves more fully in society.

Selection process

Each year, a cohort of 15 young people will be selected on a competitive basis. The selection process involves regional radio broadcasts and a national TV show. Out of 35 pre-selected candidates, 15 will be chosen to continue the adventure. They will take part in training workshops run by Fondation Hirondelle and IGD.

The selection is open to all young entrepreneurs from the country's thirteen regions.

Source: lefaso.net/