The AMPO orphanage for girls is just opposite the orphanage for boys, with the advantage that the women employed in the kitchen can cook for the girls and boys at the same time, which means cooking a hot meal twice a day for 120 people, including the caretakers and the tutors. Breakfast consists of the traditional meal soup which has to be prepared the night before. The AMPO girls help the cooks to prepare all the meals.
The AMPO annexe orphanage for girls
The orphanage for girls was opened on 15.09.1999. Here too there are about 50 socially underprivileged girls whose relatives have no means whatever to feed them and send them to school.
It is more difficult to assess the difficult situation the girls are in than the boys. When the family is in need the boys simply leave the compound or they are thrown out, to be found later on the streets of Ouagadougou. Usually if her parents die, the girl is passed on to relatives as cheap labour and is often treated worse than their own children. The domestic income is often not enough to pay for schooling and the quality of food is poor. Having seen this situation at first hand, Katrin Rohde decided to set up an orphanage for girls. The acceptance criteria are the same as for the boys’ orphanage. Nine out of thirty-one applicants were accepted at the beginning of the school year 07/08. Before the summer holidays 11 girls came of age and left the home. As with the boys, they also will be financed or supported until they can look after themselves. They too receive a bicycle so they can pursue their various activities.
Part of the AMPO Annexe is the training restaurant which is open to the public, offering both traditional food and modern European cuisine. Alcohol is only available in the form of beer and the gates to the restaurant are closed in the early evening. The object is to keep it going as a training restaurant. The restaurant is managed by Adama Nombré who is extremely friendly but who can also be very strict if need be.
There is another training facility in the AMPO Annexe, this time for tailoring. The young people can learn the trade here from our master-tailor, Rasmane Zongo and his assistant, Florence Aichedji, a trade that is so important in Burkina Faso. The weaving shop is at the boys’ orphanage, expertly managed by Rissanata Ouedraogo. All the trainee girls also attend prep school or go to evening classes outside.
The AMPO Annexe team is so successfully led by Christine Adamou, a psychologist. In general the girls perform well at school and in their training, and in many cases they are able to overcome their deeply traumatic experiences within a very short time, thanks to the care and counselling of the director and her staff of 22. The girls acquire self-confidence and can prepare themselves for inclusion into Burkina society.
Part of the compulsory extracurricular activities are karate and swimming; participation in ladies’ football is voluntary.
Extracurricular activity – karate
In addition, the girls have many hobbies which are mainly pursued on Sundays owing to the tight schedule during the week. These include dance, theatre, handicrafts, not to mention hair weaving into incredibly lovely, complex hair patterns which are not only de rigueur in West Africa for reasons of beauty, but also because natural hair dries out and becomes brittle due to the effects of the sun.
Apart from these activities, the AMPO girls take part in the theme nights organised by „P.P. Filles“. Counselling and family planning are very important factors for the future of Burkina Faso and therefore they play a major role in all AMPO facilities.
The AMPO Annexe orphanage is financed by the Bonita Foundation and administered by the main AMPO facility.
Girl with writing board
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