Ben Fatahou Nacro is providing an educational solution for the hundreds of thousands of children displaced by the security crisis in parts of Burkina Faso. His initiative has received support from companies like Orange and the Ministry of Education.

Pav Educ is a digital project developed by the Burkinabè company Universal Group, aimed at transcribing and distributing educational programs both physically (educational cards) and electronically (USB drives). The goal is to expand access to education nationwide and help students learn in an engaging way.

For the time being, the programs target preschool and primary school students. "Each set contains 120 double-sided cards, covering the six main subjects comprehensively," said project founder Ben Fatahou Nacro. The initiative has received approval from the Ministry of National Education.

During the launch of the pilot phase in November 2022, Boukary Yamyaogo, director of the Department of Educational Alternatives and Pedagogical Approaches at the Technical Secretariat for Education in Emergency Situations (ST ESU) praised the project saying:

“We are in a context that necessitates the development of distance learning tools, as some areas are difficult to access and schools are overwhelmed. This tool will allow children to continue learning in the absence of a teacher, though it cannot replace them. It directly addresses a pressing issue in emergency education by ensuring lessons are effectively delivered.”

In February 2024, Pav Educ was selected alongside four other startups for the second cohort of the "Demo Day" acceleration program under Orange Fab at Orange Digital Center. This six-month initiative aims to help these startups scale up and reach maturity.

 By Adoni Conrad Quenum,

Editing by Feriol Bewa