Inès

2017

Inès is our only journalism student. She finished a four-year program for a one-year Master’s degree. She married Pascal, a pharmacist, and they have a child, Melvin; she’s looking for work. (Solidarité)

2016

We obtained a grant of 500€ for Inès Ouedraogo to do a study of the Burkina media. She never did it; we had to give the money back. Needless to say, she wasn’t at home when we called. We talked with her Aunt Pauline. Inès should finish a one-year Master’s program in journalism this year. (Day 7)

Fred with Aunt Pauline.

2015

Inès and Josiane are cousins. They both live with their aunt Pauline and her husband. We have been following Inès with interest since her secondary school years. She said she wanted to be a journalist.

Inès, second from right, with her uncle, Mariam of the Burkina university women’s group, right, and Marion our intern, January 2013.

In 2014, we received a grant for Inès from the foundation of a local newspaper in Brittany. But they asked her to do a study of the Burkina media for them. A great opportunity for her. I put her in touch with a former government liaison with the media, Bassirou. He said he would help her.

Bassirou advises Inès on the research project.

2014

Inès was in good spirits when we saw her in January. She is in her second year of journalism at the Free University of Burkina, which works in partnership with the Free University of Brussels. With luck (and hard work), she’ll have her Licence diploma in 2015.

The prospects are good. In her first year, she had an average of over 14, with honorable mention.

After her father died over 20 years ago, her mother remarried and had three more children by her second husband. Inès was sent to live with her uncle in the capital. Her aunt is a magistrate and earns a decent salary, but her uncle has been unemployed since 2008. They have three children of their own. In addition to Inès and another family member, Josiane, whom we also support, there are two other children in the crowded household.

We discussed the family finances with her aunt Pauline, left, and decided to split with her the costs of Inès and Josiane. We pay tuition, she pays the rest. It’s working out.