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The Church in Burkina Faso is Suffering

With over two million people forced to flee their villages, this West African nation has become one of the fastest-growing displacement crises in the world. Christians have been particularly targeted, forced to either renounce their faith or face death. With nowhere to go and little to survive on, many are depending on the generosity of host families to survive.

In response, Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) is addressing this escalating crisis with four strategic projects focused on immediate and long-term relief: Emergency Aid, Catholic Education, Trauma Recovery, and Pastoral Care.

 

Project Area 1: Emergency Aid 

Nourishing the Body, Restoring the Soul

The escalating conflict has severely affected the food security and nutrition of the internally displaced population. The inability to access farmable land due to jihadist attacks has severely affected local production capacities, worsened by a rise in prices of basic goods due to the war in Ukraine. More than 2.73 million people are food insecure and in need of immediate humanitarian assistance. It's a dire situation, particularly affecting children, pregnant and nursing women, and the elderly.

 

Project Area 2: Catholic Education

Key to Building Bridges

Catholic education is key to promoting peace, interreligious dialogue, and reducing social division. By offering inclusive education that promotes enlightened values, it serves as a counter to violent extremism, preventing radical ideologies from tearing communities apart. 

 

Project Area 3: Trauma Recovery 

Restoring Hope, Healing Hearts

In the wake of these terrorist assaults, many sought refuge in churches, schools and parish halls. Priests, nuns and catechists in the hardest-hit parishes have been forced to become impromptu counsellors, offering what little they can to accompany their suffering. Dealing with the psychological impact of terrorist violence is extremely difficult Yet the psychological wounds of terrorism are deep and will grow harder to bear.

To truly help these survivors to heal, the Church must be equipped not just with spiritual guidance, but with resources and training to provide the psychological care needed for long-term recovery.

 

Project Area 4: Pastoral Care

Guiding and Strengthening Faith

In the face of suffering and displacement, the pastoral mission of the Church becomes crucial in offering the people what they truly need: the presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. Through their dedication and service, they bring the healing and peace of Christ to those who are struggling, offering spiritual nourishment, reconciliation and a deep sense of unity in times of crisis. Their role in proclaiming the Word of God and administering the Eucharist provides a powerful means of hope, reminding all that, despite the hardships they face, they are never alone—Christ is with them.