Ouagadougou: The International Thomas Sankara Memorial Committee launched a national and international campaign on Friday called “My Brick for Sankara.” It called for voluntary contributions, both in kind and in cash, for the construction of the memorial.

According to Burkina Information Agency, “With the arrival of President Ibrahim Traore to power, our ambition to build the Thomas Sankara Memorial has received unparalleled support. The government, in partnership with our organization, has already taken a major step forward with the construction of the mausoleum,” said retired Colonel-Major Daouda Traore, president of the International Thomas Sankara Memorial Committee.

For him, after the facilitation of the current authorities for the construction of the mausoleum, the time has come to address the other infrastructures of the Thomas Sankara Memorial.

Mr. Traore spoke on Friday at the launch of the ‘My Brick for Thomas Sankara’ operation, an activity that aims to invite the national and international population to contribute to the construction of the other infrastructures of the memorial, namely the 87-meter tower, the urban park, the international conference complex as well as other cultural, educational and commemorative spaces.

“This initiative is based on a simple but powerful belief: every person matters. Every citizen, every member of the diaspora, every patriot, wherever they are, can and must make a contribution,” said the committee chairman.

Luc Damiba, special advisor to the President of Faso, called on everyone to play their part in making this ambitious project a reality. “Every contribution, every brick, whether it comes from a child, a schoolchild, a worker, a Burkinabe from the diaspora or a foreign friend, will bring the flame of a common ideal,” Mr. Damiba said.

The payment methods used include, among others, physical counters, mobile money, bank transfers, the Faso Arzeka platform, as well as in-kind donations.

A projection of the model was made by the Burkinabe architect Francis Kere, responsible for the design of the memorial’s infrastructure. The press conference was attended by Burkinabe and foreign pan-Africanists, and the committee received individual and delegation contributions on site.

“Today, building the Thomas Sankara Memorial is not just about erecting walls or constructing bronze or copper statues. It is about building a temple of memory and hope, a place where every African child can come and learn that they are capable of transforming the world,” said Nathalie Yamb, a pan-Africanist activist.