Ten-Year Impacts of Burkina Faso’s BRIGHT Program

III. IMPLEMENTATION SUMMARY
Under the TP, the BRIGHT program known as BRIGHT I was implemented in 132 rural
villages from 49 departments in the 10 provinces with the lowest girls’ primary school
completion rates in Burkina Faso (Banwa, Gnagana, Komandjari, Namentenga, Oudalan,
Sanmentenga, Seno, Soum, Tapoa, and Yagha; see Figure III.1). The BRIGHT I program was
implemented from 2005 to 2008 and consisted of the construction of 132 primary schools
housing three classrooms for grades 1–3 and the development of a set of complementary
interventions designed to increase girls’ enrollment rates. Construction included housing for
three teachers and separate latrines for boys and girls at each school, as well as bisongos in 10 of
the villages. Figure III.2 shows the structures of a typical school on the upper left side and of a
BRIGHT school on the upper right side. The BRIGHT schools were constructed near a water
source, and a water pump was installed nearby. In addition, all classrooms in each school were
furnished with student desks and blackboards (Figure III.2). The complementary interventions
aimed at students included school canteens offering daily meals for boys and girls, monthly takehome
rations of 5 kilograms of dry cereal given to girls who had a 90 percent attendance rate,
and provision of textbooks and school supplies to all students. Complementary interventions
aimed at the community included a mobilization campaign that facilitated discussion in the
community about barriers to girls’ education, a literacy program that provided adult literacy
training and mentoring for girls, and local capacity building for local officials in the MEBA,
bisongo monitors, and teachers.
Figure III.1. Implementation of the BRIGHT program
Source: Plan Burkina Faso.
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