Project Report: L’École Chemin d’Espoir – Path of Hope School

Location: Burkina Faso, West Africa
Project Lead: Dawn Malcolm/Lighting the Path
Updated: May 2025

Our Mission

L’École Chemin d’Espoir—The Path of Hope School—was founded to address the devastating cycle of poverty, gender inequality, and abandonment of girls in Burkina Faso. In communities where girls have historically been denied education, considered property, or even sold into slavery, our school offers an alternative: safety, skills, and a future.

Our Work & Progress

Vocational Training & Education

We operate a two-year residential vocational training program for girls and young women, many of whom have been abandoned, orphaned, or rescued from exploitative circumstances. The program offers:

• Vocational Skills: Sewing, weaving, agriculture, animal husbandry, soap making, and small product enterprises.

• Academic Education: Basic literacy in reading, writing, and math.

• Business & Life Skills: Entrepreneurship, small business management, and community leadership.

• Personal Development: Confidence building, responsibility, and a culture of giving back.

To date, we’ve had two graduating classes, with each student leaving our program empowered, independent, and ready to contribute meaningfully to their communities.

Transforming Families & Communities

The impact has reached far beyond the school gates:

• Fewer Abandonments: Village pastors and midwives report a decline in the abandonment of newborn girls.

• Reintegration of Graduates: Families who once saw daughters as burdens are now welcoming them back—grateful for the income, skills, and dignity they bring.

• Cultural Shift: We are seeing a powerful change in the societal perception of girls. Families from surrounding villages are now contacting us directly, hoping to enroll their daughters. This level of engagement and value placed on girls is unprecedented in the region.

A Milestone Celebration

On January 31, 2025, over 200 leaders, pastors, parents, and students from across the region gathered to celebrate our most recent graduation. Despite security challenges that have limited visits to the region, our founder was able to attend, bringing specially printed school shirts for the graduates. The event was filled with joy, song, dance, and heartfelt gratitude. Community leaders gave powerful speeches, emphasizing the transformative role our school has played in their villages.

Innovative Health Solutions: Reusable Feminine Pads

A groundbreaking initiative within our program is the production of washable, reusable feminine hygiene pads. In many villages, girls lack the resources to manage menstrual health safely and are forced to miss school or work, compromising their health and dignity.

Our founder designed a sewing pattern to address this need, and it has since become one of our most in-demand vocational skills. These pads are now produced by students for both personal use and income generation, providing a sustainable solution to a pressing need. Due to the program’s success, we are expanding this initiative to other impoverished countries as well.

Facilities & Growth

To support our expanding mission, we have developed:

• A three-room school building, kitchen, and bathhouse

• A dormitory to house students safely

• An outdoor pavilion for classes and study

• A drilled clean water well

• A growing network of local and international partnerships

The Road Ahead

We are receiving a growing number of enrollment inquiries from villages across the region, and we remain committed to meeting this rising demand with expanded programming, additional facilities, and sustainable funding.

Our graduates are changing the narrative for girls in Burkina Faso. They are returning to their communities not only with skills but as leaders, mentors, and advocates—uplifting others and reinforcing the message that girls matter.

Support Our Mission

You can help us continue this life-changing work. Every donation, partnership, and shared story brings us closer to a world where every girl is safe, educated, and empowered to pursue her potential.