Developed by Asmae in Burkina Faso, Yam Wekre, a picture book, is an educational innovation. It facilitates the dissemination and adoption of a playful and participatory teaching approach implemented by preschool educators for children aged 3 to 6, as well as in elementary school. Comprising 312 images organized into 29 educational themes, this picture book is tailored to the Burkinabé context, making it easier for both educators and children to adopt.
To learn more, we interviewed Saleymata Gadiaga, Head of Operations and Partnerships at Asmae Burkina Faso.
How does this tool address the need for training and the needs of the 3-6 age group?
This child-centered tool fills a critical gap in educational resources. Its use creates an environment conducive to quality learning, which also contributes to child protection. The Yam Wekre picture book enhances children’s development and places them at the center of their learning through their full participation. The motor and psychosocial activities conducted help develop language skills as well as psychomotor, socio-emotional, and cognitive skills. It also helps identify children at risk or in danger. The picture book is a source of motivation. It makes activities engaging and ensures the retention of learning, fosters imagination and creativity, and aids in the semi-concretization of activities.
In what ways is the teaching method appropriate?
Various teaching methods are used with picture books. They are tailored to the children’s level as well as their social environment. Group work allows for better consideration of both small and large groups. Participatory pedagogy involves children in the learning process, while the playful approach enables children to acquire knowledge through play. Several cross-cutting approaches are incorporated, notably the gender approach, which ensures the involvement of both girls and boys and their non-stereotypical representation in the picture book. The inclusive approach reinforces the inclusion of all children without distinction, with a focus on children with disabilities. These teaching methods are equally suitable in both emergency and development contexts, regardless of the children’s age and living conditions, to facilitate learning.
The Yam Wekre initiative was first piloted from 2015 to 2018 and co-financed by the French Development Agency.
How are you continuing to expand and scale it up in Burkina Faso?
The Yam Wekre picture book went through a three-year pilot phase, followed by a three-year expansion phase and a three-year rollout phase. As part of this process, Asmae developed a distribution mechanism for the tool in close collaboration with the government to ensure its long-term sustainability. The development of the scaling-up strategy was led and managed by the government, as was the strategy for training professionals in the tool’s use. The facilities now covered include early childhood development and preschool centers, Bisongo (community preschools), and daycare centers, and the rollout has expanded from one to six regions since the pilot phase through to full implementation. A new phase of scaling up the tool is now funded by Enabel and the European Union to cover new areas and train even more professionals in its use.
How many professionals and children have benefited from this educational approach?
Today, there are nearly 669 professionals trained through the PPEE project and 173 people, including 95 women, through the PEACE project.
A total of 42,753 children, including 21,465 girls, have benefited from the picture book series through the PPEE project, and 12,390 children, including 5,468 girls, have benefited from the picture book series through the PEACE project.
Thank you to our financial partners: ENABEL and the European Union