CRS History in Burkina Faso

"Once there was a sale of some used furniture at the U.S. Embassy and one of the [Catholic Relief Services] staff came into the office with a lamp. Finally, someone asked him why he bought the lamp when he does not have electricity. He responded: 'I purchased it as I have hope of getting electricity one day.'"
—William Canny, former CRS Burkina Faso country representative, 1985-1989

Twenty years later, most people in Burkina Faso are still without electricity, yet this spirit of optimistic determination prevails.

Catholic Relief Services has a rich history in Burkina Faso. The government of Upper Volta, as it was known then, welcomed CRS to the country shortly after independence from France in 1960. CRS was the first nongovernmental organization approved by the government. CRS has maintained a good working relationship with the government through five coups d'états and the "revolution" led by former president Thomas Sankara.

In the early years, CRS provided humanitarian aid and food aid. In 1962, we started providing education assistance, especially school feeding.

In the 1970s and 1980s, CRS responded to several severe droughts. Through the school system, CRS distributed food to rural, drought-stricken areas by giving students sacks of food at the end of the school year. Programs also focused on health outreach, working with schools to integrate agriculture education into the curriculum.

CRS has expanded our programs to include long-term, sustainable interventions in education, agriculture, health, HIV and AIDS, microfinance and, most recently, peace and justice.

CRS has an office in the capital of Ouagadougou and employs more than 104 staff.