Dédougou Provincial High School: 10 computers and a copier from former student Mahamadou Bonkoungou

Responding to a request from the alumni association of the Dédougou Provincial High School, Mahamadou Bonkoungou, CEO of the EBOMAF Group, presented a significant donation of computer equipment to his former school on Sunday, May 13, 2012. A number of dignitaries attended this generous gesture, which strengthens this institution of learning in fulfilling its primary mission.

Thirty years after leaving the Dédougou Provincial High School, Mahamadou Bonkoungou returned bearing gifts. In his ambition to bridge the digital divide in Burkina Faso and the sub-region, the alumnus began with his hometown. Last Sunday, May 13, he provided the leading school in the capital of the Boucle du Mouhoun region with a substantial amount of equipment to help it keep pace with information and communication technologies (ICT). Ten (10) microcomputers and a photocopier constitute the precious gift through which the CEO of EBOMAF expressed his gratitude to the Dédougou Provincial High School.

Political, administrative, religious, and traditional authorities, as well as the primary beneficiaries (students and teachers), welcomed this invaluable act. The large crowd that attended the donation ceremony rejoiced in its relevance, given that the gift includes essential tools for all areas of social, cultural, educational, economic, and political interaction. Thanks to the generosity of Mahamadou Bonkoungou, a former student of the Dédougou Provincial High School and now head of one of the country's most successful companies, the school has acquired a fully equipped computer lab with ten microcomputers and a high-capacity photocopier. In short, the high school has just been equipped with a complete computer lab.

Valued at an estimated ten million (10,000,000) CFA francs, this equipment arrives at just the right time to help students and teachers overcome their lack of computer skills. The school principal, Maximin Somé, and the student representative both expressed their gratitude for this generous donation. "The CEO of EBOMAF has solved a huge problem for us in several ways. We used to have to travel long distances to photocopy texts or assignments because our photocopier was broken and awaiting repair. Now, he has generously provided us with a state-of-the-art photocopier. The school's computers are also outdated and constantly unreliable.

That's now a thing of the past because today's donor took pity on us by providing brand-new equipment, in addition to an internet connection, which has been a request from the staff for three years now!" the principal explained. The head of the high school reassured their benefactor that the entire school community would do everything possible to ensure the proper maintenance of the equipment and its judicious use to improve academic results. While urging the recipients to use the equipment wisely, the regional governor, Victor Dabiré, emphasized that this addresses one of the major challenges posed by the government's commitment to modernizing school infrastructure.

Mahamadou Bonkoungou justified his support by noting that the internet is an essential tool today for providing adequate education at all levels. Driven by the desire to bring this era of progress to the Dédougou Provincial High School, he responded favorably to the alumni association's request by donating this computer equipment. “After such an enriching experience at this high school, despite the realities we faced at the time, it is my duty to contribute to alleviating the suffering of the students who have followed us.

This involves bringing innovation to this institution by creating a springboard for knowledge and international expertise,” stated the CEO of EBOMAF. Just as his former school can now boast of being connected to the rest of the world, the students of the Dédougou Provincial High School will no longer be illiterate in the 21st century. This is a truly worthwhile endeavor.

SB/JE