Burkina Faso's youth speak up

While accountability to affected people is a fundamental element of humanitarian responses, the voices of crisis-affected boys and girls are often left out. Given that young people represent 55% of those in need in Burkina Faso and have a right to be heard, the Child Protection sub-cluster in Burkina Faso asked Ground Truth Solutions to support the development of a study to understand young people’s perceptions so that their views can inform humanitarian planning by government officials, nongovernmental organisations, and humanitarian coordination.

Ground Truth Solutions collaborated with actors specialising in child protection with a solid understanding of the national context to coordinate an exploratory research project to identify priority themes for girls and boys. This was achieved with considerable support from technical and operational partners based in Burkina Faso – Terre des hommes Lausanne, Humanity and Inclusion, ECPAT France, the National Coordination of Associations of Children and Young Workers in Burkina Faso, and Plan International – as well as the support of the Child Protection sub-cluster and the Ministry of Solidarity, Humanitarian Action, National Reconciliation, Gender and Family. This report identifies key priorities for youth, the changes they want to see in their daily lives, and how humanitarian actors could better support their needs and aspirations.