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Burkina Faso

It is no longer possible to start an adoption procedure in Burkina Faso. In November 2022, the Dutch government decided to phase out intercountry adoption from a number of countries, including Burkina Faso. However, prospective adoptive parents who had their files in Burkina Faso could continue with the procedure until the end of 2025. In 2024, the last adopted child from Burkina Faso for whom Wereldkinderen mediated came to the Netherlands.

For the children adopted from Burkina Faso and their parents, Wereldkinderen still provides aftercare in the first year after arrival and longer, if required. In the coming years, the families will also write follow-up reports, which will be sent to the authorities in Burkina Faso. On our website at Roots there is information (in Dutch) on how to request your adoption file and where to go with questions. In addition, the reports published as part of the History and Roots project are listed there.

Background

Burkina Faso is one of the poorest countries in the world, with almost half the population living below the extreme poverty line. The COVID pandemic has worsened the country's socio-economic situation. According to International Social Service (ISS), 1% of Burkinabe children are orphaned or separated from their families. The security situation has deteriorated over the past decade, with an ongoing terrorist threat. There were two coups in 2022, causing political unrest.

Children eligible for adoption are orphans, foundlings and relinquished children. Children are often given up because they were born from incestuous relationships, extramarital affairs or because their mothers have a psychiatric problem. These children are not accepted within society.

In recent years, the Burkinabe CA has been working to promote domestic adoption and foster care, with positive results. In 2019, for the first time, there were more domestic than inter-country adoptions (43 and 37 respectively) and this trend continued. Children who are placed in domestic adoptive families are usually under two years old and healthy. For children with a medical special need or a burdened background, it is more difficult to find a family domestically. In recent years, several European countries have suspended cooperation with Burkina Faso, mainly because of the security situation. Wereldkinderen hopes that permanent families will still be found for the most vulnerable children in Burkina Faso.

Number of children

In the 1990s, four children from Burkina Faso were adopted through Wereldkinderen. In 2015, Wereldkinderen resumed cooperation with Burkina Faso and initially two files were sent. Two years later, two Burkinabe children arrived in the Netherlands. Subsequently, several files were sent and eight more children from Burkina Faso arrived in the Netherlands between 2020 and 2024.

Luca (6 years old) from Burkina Faso lives with Stefan and Sanne since 2021

Wednesday 24 March 2021 Luca took his first steps here in the Netherlands. So at the moment, Luca has been with us for over 3.5 years. In those 3.5 years, Luca has developed enormously. He is fluent in Dutch. He spoke Dutch very soon after we picked him up from Burkina Faso. Of the French language Luca used to speak, he now understands nothing except a few words. Before we eat, we do say ‘Bon appétit.’ We say this before every meal, since Luca has been with us.  

We talk to Luca a lot about his past. It is important to us that he knows there is another mother in the world and that he also had a care mother in the home. We look at a lot of pictures and let Burkina Faso into his life. But Luca often ends with the words ‘You are my real mum and dad’. And of course we are incredibly proud of him saying this.

Luca is now in group 3. He has a great time at school. He is very eager to learn and wants to know everything. He has plenty of friends with whom he likes to play during breaks and outside school. He also enjoys taking friends home with him. Meanwhile, Luca is also busy with swimming lessons. He hopes to get his A-diploma soon.

We, Stefan and Sanne, are very happy with how the adoption process went. Our goal was to give a child a bright future. Every morning, we see a happy 6-year-old boy who has a great time with us. We are very proud of Luca. How he is developing and how he can be himself with us. Our goal of giving a child a bright future has certainly succeeded.


Luca has his own website about his adoption and experiences: https://lucazijlstra.nl/ 

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