News

Tremendous progress has been made in Konkourona since KAFO and MSN began the First Mile Community Development Program in 2019. Access to education, healthcare and water is now available to all citizens. Additionally, many jobs have been created and 1100 fruit and shade trees have been planted.


  • Congratulations Marie and Geneviève

    Congratulations Marie and Geneviève

    Marie and Geneviève successfully graduated from high school and will be attending a university in Burkina Faso in the fall!  Marie’s strengths are wide-ranging, including French, History and Geography, Philosophy and Physical Sciences.  Geneviève excels in the study of languages, including Bobo, Dyula, French, German, and English.   These young women are two of approximately…

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  • The Women’s Center is open in Konkourona!

    The Women’s Center is open in Konkourona!

    Men, women and children gathered in the multipurpose center last week for training to improve the water management system in Konkourona.    The new center will be managed by the women in the community for  vaccination campaigns, a waiting area for patients using the health center, a cafeteria, a training room, and a hub for…

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  • Happy 5th Birthday to KAFO!

    Happy 5th Birthday to KAFO!

    Exactly 5 years ago today, I was on a trip to Acadia National Park in Maine with my daughters and my niece.  I woke up early and worked in the lobby while they slept, putting the finishing touches on the Articles of Incorporation for the Konkourona Alliance Foundation (KAFO), Inc. before sending them out, leading…

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  • Happy Mother’s Day from Konkourona!

    Happy Mother’s Day from Konkourona!

    Sabine is recovering beautifully from the surgery she had one month ago to remove a benign tumor from her jaw that was making it difficult for her to eat, talk and breathe.  In this picture, she is with her 8 month old baby in front of what is being built as a Women’s Center.  She…

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  • Sabine’s surgery was successful!

    Sabine’s surgery was successful!

    Many people asked how Sabine’s surgery went, so I wanted to send a quick update to you from Félix.  Félix is from Konkourona and finishing up a PharmD program in Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso.  Félix managed everything about Sabine’s care, taking her to specialists, scheduling the surgery, rounding up the materials and medications needed, making payments,…

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  • Tomorrow is a big day for Sabine!

    Tomorrow is a big day for Sabine!

    This is Sabine (32), who is from Konkourona and is married with three children (15, 10, and 7 months).  Three years ago, Sabine noticed a growth in her jaw and it has gotten progressively worse over time.  There is now a health center in Konkourona that can be used to treat most healthcare issues, but…

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  • Happy Women’s Day!

    Happy Women’s Day!

    This is Catherine, the hard working wife of the KAFO Field Program Director (Victorien), mother of 5 children, caretaker for the KAFO headquarters building, and the leader of the Women’s Association in Konkourona. Catherine rises early and works tirelessly each day to care for her family and support the development efforts in Konkourona. Let’s celebrate…

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  • Growth continues!

    Growth continues!

    Computer classes at the library have surged due to Business Online donating 20 computers, enhancing skills in Word and Excel. Health data shows high care-seeking behavior with significant community engagement in maternal and child health services. Efforts towards improving educational facilities and housing for teachers reflect strong momentum towards sustainable development goals.

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  • Happy New Year!

    Happy New Year!

    Victorien Millogo, KAFO Field Program Director There were three primary goals for KAFO in 2023: All of these goals (and so much more) were accomplished in 2023, thanks in great part to the leadership of Victorien Millogo, farmer and KAFO Field Program Director. Victorien has lived in Konkourona all of his life and has no…

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  • Happy Thanksgiving from Konkourona!

    Happy Thanksgiving from Konkourona!

    Life in the remote village of Konkourona, Burkina Faso, is hard, but it has improved dramatically over the past 4 years. We are extremely grateful to our closest friends, colleagues and family members for joining us in helping this community build a brighter future. There are security risks in Burkina Faso that prevent most people…

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  • Dengue fever hits Burkina Faso!

    Dengue fever hits Burkina Faso!

    KAFO President, Dr. Jules Millogo, speaks out about dengue Burkina Faso’s health ministry confirmed that one of the deadliest dengue fever epidemics yet has been impacting the country over the past few weeks. Since the start of the year, the country has recorded more than 51,000 suspected cases and more than 200 deaths of the…

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  • New school year has begun!

    New school year has begun!

    The village of Konkourona celebrated the tremendous successes in education from the past 4 years by enrolling a record number of students in elementary school, middle school and high school this year. KAFO and MSN made sure that primary school students had books and supplies, and middle school and high school students had books, supplies,…

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  • Primary Health Center Planned

    Primary Health Center Planned

    Our next project is the construction of a Primary Health Center. In Konkourona, there is no access to any form of healthcare. Traditional medicine practices are used at first and if additional care is needed villagers must walk, bike, or hitch a ride for over 50 miles to the city of Bobo Dioulasso. It takes…

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  • Building Housing for Teachers

    Building Housing for Teachers

    Construction of housing for teachers is now underway! Supplies have arrived in the village and bricks are being laid! Support of the teachers is very important to the quality of education in Konkourona. In Burkina Faso, the government assigns teachers to villages anywhere in the country, often placing them hours away from their spouses and…

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  • New Classrooms are Finished

    New Classrooms are Finished

    Officials decided to end classes for Grades 1-5 for the summer as a result of COVID-19, but students in Grade 6 are studying hard for the compulsory middle school exam to be held in July. They are using one of the new classrooms and can now study at night as a result of the lights that…

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  • School Starts Soon

    School Starts Soon

    Construction of three new classrooms and an office for the principal and teachers is almost finished. In the past month, the walls have been plastered and painted, solar panels and electricity were installed, steps and ramps were put in, and desks were built. Classes are currently targeted to resume in 10 days and when they do, school will…

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  • Construction Continues through Pandemic

    Construction Continues through Pandemic

    Construction continues in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.  It is hoped that the remote location of Konkourona and restrictions on movement in the country will protect the villagers from the spread of the virus. Classes have been suspended in the country, as in most of the world at this point. In many countries, students have moved to…

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  • We have walls!

    We have walls!

    The walls are finished now and are being watered to keep the bricks from absorbing the moisture from the mortar while it dries, which would cause the mortar to crumble over time.  There is a very hard-working engineer watching over construction to make sure everything goes well and that the building will be of the highest…

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  • Growing a Community

    Growing a Community

    We have had so many pictures of construction but so few of the children.  I love seeing the children in this video. It takes 2-3 hours to travel to Konkourona from the city of Bobo-Dioulasso, which is where the masons and site engineer are from.  They have been staying in the village over the past…

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  • New Heights

    New Heights

    So much progress has been made in less than two weeks with so much help from the villagers!  The walls are almost finished now, so soon it will be time to work on the roof.  A makeshift outdoor classroom is quickly being replaced.

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  • Building Materials Arrive

    Building Materials Arrive

    Building materials were delivered in Konkourona last week, marking the start of construction of three new classrooms. More than 300 villagers mobilized to gather sand, pebbles and water to make bricks. Others dug holes for the foundation. The foundation will be poured and bricks will begin being laid this week.  The overcrowding of classrooms is so acute that children are…

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