By Joe Marrone
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05 Feb, 2023
Burkina Faso in the 1980s, then called Upper Volta, was bursting at the seams. An infant country exploited by western colonizers, the new people in power were trying to navigate the difficulty of leading. Then in 1983, with the Burkinabe people suffering, the young former Prime Minister, Thomas Sankara, became president after a popularly-supported coup. At just 33 years old, Sankara had big ideas and understood the everyday struggle of the Burkinabe people. He changed the country’s name from its colonial name to Burkina Faso, meaning the Land of Incorruptible People. He immediately launched programs that focused on bettering the country for every citizen, from the cities to the rural farmland. President Sankara focused on self-sufficiency for Burkina Faso to prevent famine. He constructed a nationwide literary campaign as his government built schools nationwide. Sankara protected children, advancing vaccine drives and building health centers. While Sankara was in office, he organized infrastructure that helped vaccinate more than two million children against meningitis, yellow fever, and measles. Sankara also ordered the construction of over 100 km of rail line. He knew of Burkina Faso’s water difficulties at the time and was able to raise total cereal production by 75% by building water reservoirs and redistributing private land to the poor. Sankara was ahead of his time, seeing the desertification of the Sahel and developing a plan to plant 10 million trees to combat it. Additionally, Sankara was against all forms of imperialism, including aid. He rejected aid from the international monetary fund, which forces countries to enact certain policies which have been shown to be detrimental to the long-term viability of the economy. President Sankara completed many of these programs, which benefited the everyday Burkinabe through little to no outside funding. Unfortunately, Sankara was not able to continue his vision of a healthy and prosperous Burkina Faso. His life was horrifically cut short in an October 1987 assassination. Blaise Compaore took over leadership in a coup d’état. However, Sankara’s idea and spirit still lives on in the soul of Burkina Faso and in the minds of every small farmer working to feed their family. They have been waiting for another young imaginative leader to focus on the families suffering the most. That hope came alive in October 20222 when Ibrahim Traore became president of Burkina Faso through a military coup. Only 34 years old, this young army captain has been inspired by the ideals Thomas Sankara left behind. Already, President Traore is focusing on the everyday people of Burkina Faso, giving them hope that the course of the country can change. Since taking office, President Traore has outlined a comprehensive plan for farmers to revive irrigated agriculture. He understands the national security situation and is working to increase the productivity of irrigated areas by at least 50%. He is also making agricultural equipment available to farmers at subsidized prices. One of his biggest domestic drives is his vaccination drive, not for people, but for animals. His government is hoping to vaccinate over 32 million poultry, 6.5 million cattle, and 14 million small ruminants. Protecting livestock against deadly contagious diseases and giving families more security over their farm and their food. President Traore has already secured over 2 million francs in funding for the undertaking. The new government is committed to bringing sustainable food and nutritional security to Burkina Faso. For many everyday Burkinabe people desperate for stability, President Traore is their only hope. As the ideals of Thomas Sankara echo through the cities and the rural plains of Burkina Faso, public cooperation will be the way forward for the country. Not one person can drive change, as Sankara said, “We must dare to invent the future.” https://www.agriculture.bf/jcms/pv10_104791/fr/campagne-agropastorale-de-saison-seche-une-batterie-de-mesures-pour-l-intensification-de-l-agriculture-irriguee-et-la-protection-sanitaire-du-cheptel https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Sankara