Ouagadougou: As part of the 18th edition of the scholarship award ceremony for orphans, the Autonomous Civil Servants' Pension Fund (CARFO) awarded this Friday morning 1,198 scholarships worth 100,000 CFA francs each to the beneficiaries of its deceased pensioners and those of combatants who fell on the battlefield. This granting of scholarships aims to facilitate access to education for orphans.

According to Burkina Information Agency, the ceremony was marked by the awarding of 1,198 school scholarships to orphans of CARFO and defense and security forces pensioners, amounting to a total of 119,800,000 CFA francs. The event also featured the presentation of in-kind donations, including bags of rice for the guardians of orphans, and the distribution of baccalaureate success certificates to students. Additionally, excellence prizes worth 200,000 CFA francs each were awarded to the ten best CARFO scholarship holders, along with incentive prizes for all winners.

Technical and financial partners presented giant checks during the ceremony, raising a total of 54,600,000 CFA francs. CARFO acknowledged these contributions by presenting certificates as a token of appreciation. Hyacinthe Tamalgo, CARFO's general director, highlighted the support of technical partners since 2008, which has enabled appreciable academic results for beneficiaries. In the school exams for the year 2024-2025, 199 out of 293 scholarship holders passed, achieving a success rate of 67.92%. The results included 72 admissions to the baccalaureate and 44 admissions to the CEP, among others.

Mr. Tamalgo emphasized that the testimonials from orphans' representatives reflect the importance of continuing this initiative. Two innovations marked this year's edition: the digitalization of scholarship payments via mobile platforms and the online platform selection process for scholarships, enhancing speed and transparency.

Mathias Traore, the Minister in charge of the Civil Service, stated that the operation is a dynamic response to the aspirations of the population, grounded in the Presidential Initiative for Quality Education for All (IPEQ). Mr. Traore encouraged all Burkinabe to reflect on self-sacrifice, general interest, solidarity, and patriotism.