The Mogho Naaba, king of the Mossi people (an ethnic group in West Africa found mainly in Burkina Faso) opened up his palace to the pupils of a primary school in Saag nioniogo. In this region of Malian refugee camps, Terre des hommes (Tdh) set up this meeting as a step towards integration.
The Tdh project “Assistance to refugees and asylum seekers” is taking place in three provinces of Burkina Faso – Ouagadougou (Saag nioniogo camp), Bobo-Dioulasso and Dori (Goudebou camp). Allowing Malian child refugees, who have not attended school since they left their country, to find their way back to school has been one of the priorities of Tdh. On 26th March, Tdh organised a special day with the pupils of the Saag nioniogo primary school, the village of the same name which has been receiving refugees since the start of the crisis in Mali. 178 children, of which 98 were from Mali, met with the Mogho Naaba and had an audience with him.
This event allowed the children, from both Mali and Burkina Faso, to become immersed in Mossi culture. Familiar with the history of the royal court, the children questioned the Mogho Naaba on the extent of his duties, the number of ministers that guide him and even on their respective roles. The Mogho Naaba was pleased to answer these questions and even gave the children some advice.
Young people, the future of Mali
A warm welcome was extended to the Malian children. The king hoped that peace would return quickly. “You are the future of Mali,” he told them, that is why he wanted them to return to their homeland quickly.
The children performed a traditional dance before the Mogho Naaba and they then shared a meal together. Through his spokesman, the Mogho Naaba gave the children a message of peace: “Do not forget your friends here as it is hand in hand that you will build Africa.”
The sense of belonging to their adopted home and the cohesion between the children, both those from Mali and those from Burkina Faso, was strengthened by this event. The king expressed his gratitude to both the government of Burkina Faso and to Tdh for the work undertaken to improve the living conditions of the Malian refugees in Burkina Faso.
Terre des hommes is having a positive effect on the daily lives of more than 2 million children and their families each year. Learn more about our projects in Burkina Faso.
