Friends of Guirgho (Aired August 6, 2023)

New Paltz Rotarians Robert Rich and Pascal Guirma, along with Pacal’s brother

Vlctor, return to RadioRotary to report on the progress of Friends of Guirgho in

improving the school and other facilities in the Burkina Faso village of Guirgho, a rural

settlement about 60 km from the capital of Burkina Faso. Burkino Faso (formerly

Upper Volta), the ancestral home of the Guirma brothers, is a landlocked nation in

West Africa. When France controlled this part of West Africa. French Jesuits started a

boarding school, but few natives would attend. Finally the Emperor had his second

son, known as Bila Victor, sent to the school, signaling it was safe to attend. One of

Bila Victor’s sons, Frédéric Guirma, educated at the school, became the first

ambassador from Upper Volta to the United States and later the ambassador to the

United Nations. Two of his sons, Victor and Pascal, remained connected to the

ancestral village of Guirgho. Visiting the village they saw the need for a better school

and for other modern improvements. Rotarians from New Paltz pitched in to help .

The Friends replaced ancient desks with modern ones and added latrines to the

school. One of their most complicated projects was bringing computers to the school,

since there was no electricity until they introduced solar power.

Learn more

Friends of Guirgho: mailto:https://www.friendsofguirgho.org/

New Paltz Rotary Club: mailto:https://www.newpaltzrotary.org/

Burkina Faso: mailto:https://www.britannica.com/place/Burkina-Faso

Ambassador Frédéric Guirma: mailto:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frédéric_Guirma

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