MAMA KOUYATE MOUSSOGNOUMA SARAMBE

The Wamdé center, located in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, is an association that mainly takes in street children and orphans. Founded in 1994 by Mama Kouyaté, the center provides a place to live and learn for these disadvantaged children. It offers a nursery school, a CP1 class and training in weaving, sewing, dyeing, carpentry, dance and theater for the older children. The center also has a theater troupe that tours internationally to publicize the center and sell items made by the students. The association's volunteers also run literacy courses for adults. The Wamdé center also organizes the Graine de Baobab-Wamdé prize, which is awarded to the best film dealing with childhood at the FESPACO African film festival. The association has plans to open a children's theater, create a photo studio and build new classrooms. The center's partners include UNESCO, the Fondation Air France pour l'Enfance and individual partners.