The Pelican

Youths are the future of the country and Church: how to be closer to them? Some of us Missionaries of Africa were haunted by this question. The answer came in 1992 when we created a Centre for youths in Ouagadougou and, in memory of the emblem chosen by Cardinal Lavigerie, named it: The Pelican*, to express our desire to give ourselves to Africa up to being devoured by it.

*The pelican is a traditional symbol of Christ. As the rooster is the emblem of Christ resurrected, the pelican is the emblem of Christ in Eucharist.

The old legend states that the pelican sacrifices itself to save its young by striking its breast with its beak to feed its young with its own blood.

First housed in a rental, we managed to find a real "home", seeking to harmonize old buildings and new constructions.

The Centre's objectives :

1. Meet the needs of young people attending school by offering a peaceful and welcoming yard, opened to any youth regardless of creed or origin, with a concern for supporting the neediest.

2. Have the Pelican become a place of exchange and of human promotion.

3. Render young people open to the spiritual dimension.

I. Meet the needs of young people attending school

A. By offering a peaceful and welcoming yard

Many youths, whether at their own home or at their landlords’ are in difficult surroundings to study in: family yard teeming with life, cramped quarters. This makes it difficult to find a quiet place inducing to intellectual work during the day. It is also difficult for girls, if they are living at home, to get away from the family tasks that are theirs as girls: cooking, housecleaning, doing the dishes and bathing the little ones. The Pelican wants to offer a quiet and welcoming place to one and all.

That is how, at the very beginning, a bar/restaurant was turned into a place to study in: the orchestra podium, saw its walls covered with blackboards on which mathematical formulas are now jumping up and down; those who like to work in groups took over the place where convivial reunions once took place, sharing grilled meat around the counter bar, and where one can still find the warmth of opinions hotly defended and the passion of builders of the future; the large hangar, were seated clients once sometimes stared at their thoughts at the bottom of a glass, as been dedicated to those preferring silence to mature their strength as tomorrow's thinkers and poets. Two buildings, one for the library, and one for the offices, have been added to the old usable structures. A year later, we added still another building for the studies of documents.

With a library, under the responsibility of a librarian.

Many high school students have no schoolbooks: they must do with résumés written in their notebooks. It was thus urgent, at the beginning, to organize a library, by appealing to friends and relations to garnish it with schoolbooks and novels, even used ones. Of course, today, some high schools offer the possibility to rent schoolbooks, but it is not every one that can afford it. Of course, nowadays, in local libraries, it is also possible to find works by African teachers, printed in Africa and meeting the country's programs. But one can still must have the means to buy them.

With a room for documents under the responsibility of an archivist.

Youths also often have to do exposés or group work on specific subjects concerning Africa and Burkina ; they are looking for documentation. At the Pelican they can find a document room on everything concerning Africa, its culture, its evolution or its history, as well as its general culture and social phenomenon. Each year, we add files on matters such as philosophy, French, English, chemistry, mathematics, biology, geography, physics, history, spirituality, etc.

B. Yard opened to any youth regardless of creed or origin.

Burkina comprises more than 60 different ethnic groups all living in good harmony. More than 20 ethnic groups can be met at the Pelican. Youths mix without any problems. That is the Pelican’s wary of living.

As far as different religions are concerned, they cohabitate, without any problems; families themselves are plural: some are Muslims, others of traditional African religions, others Catholics or protestants or even of diverse sects.

As far as the Pelican is concerned, each year an average of 55% of the youths inscribed are Catholics,33.25% Muslims, 3.66% animists, 8.26% protestants.

Upon inscription, along with their lineage, the youths declare to what religion they belong without any difficulty: it is their identity, and they know they are known and respected in their identity; and the young Muslims girls will come with the characteristic veil called "lankana,": which bothers no one and occasionally becomes an occasion for others to greet them with the religious formula "es salam alik" of which they are highly honoured.

C. With a concern for supporting the neediest.

Lacking financial means or unable to enter public or private high schools. (because of age, behind in their schooling, repeating classes, failing ), a certain number of youths must do with evening classes to prepare for their exams. Thus, each year, around a hundred non-inscribed in high school may work each day at the Pelican and benefit from our services.

Since September 2001, we also have a classroom dedicated to getting familiar with computers: we have 10 computers for the class. We trained a young unemployed, to teach the course.

That is how some young boys and girls were able to regain a taste for life. An example: a young Muslim girl, discouraged after many failures, had abandoned all studies; after a training course in computer, she inscribed herself at the Pelican to prepare for her high school diploma. The Centre sets inscription rate keeping in mind the neediest: what do we ask youths attending the Pelican?

The Pelican's annual budget being around 6 000 000 F cfa. It would be illusory to want the youths to absorb the whole of the functioning cost. Our concern is that access to the Pelican be possible to any youth, whatever his social standing, and that the subscription be the same for all: that there is not a subscription for the wealthy and one for those who lack money. In view of this, we limit the subscription rate, and we search elsewhere, to benefactors, how to fill the deficit. Thanks to this way of doing we can have the Pelican be a place of exchange and of human promotion, and of opening to the spiritual dimension.

II. Have the Pelican become a place of exchange and of human promotion.

To create a library was opening the way to encounters at multiple levels. Teachers more and more often present their students with exposés on society phenomenon or on major actuality subjects. Youths lacking all documentation turn to us: discussion with them, the input of articles on specific themes, magazines, will help them forge their own opinion and, at the same time, it is their teachers and classmates who will benefit through their intermediary of a Christian look on themes, sometimes far from the beaten paths of general opinion.

The daily presence of the person in charge, allows personal contacts with youths, who often, confronted with their numerous problems, are happy to find available adults to listen to them: they then easily open about their family, sentimental or health problems.

And with more deeply disturbed youths, they can be oriented towards a psychotherapist. Such situations, happened more than once.

III. Open youths to the spiritual dimension.

The third part of our project had a deeper spiritual prospect. Creating a religious library was opening ways to meetings at multiple levels. Our presence offers youths from diverse religions an occasion to meet a priest: even if Catholics are the majority with close to 56%, Muslims represents 36%.

In its daily rhythm  the Pelican favours tolerance. Our availability promotes a real dialogue, even from simple school information and some, non-Christians, sometimes extend this dialogue by tackling their problems with life.

Teachers more and more often present their students with exposés on social phenomenon or on major actuality subjects. Youths lacking all documentation turn to us: discussion with them, the input of articles on specific themes, magazines, will help them forge their own opinion and, at the same time, it is their teachers and classmates who will benefit through their intermediary of a Christian look on themes touched, sometimes far from the beaten paths of general opinion. It is also in this sense that each month, on a Sunday morning, a meeting is held to reflect on a subject chosen by them.

That is how, modestly, we try remaining faithful to our founder’s spirit: offering today's youths Jesus’ loving presence by being at their service.

Furthermore, young Catholics,56% of those participating, have the possibility of meeting the Centre's two priests. Each Tuesday, at noon, they gather in the chapel to share a prayer. And each month, on a Sunday morning, a meeting is held to reflect on a subject chosen by them.

Our presence makes us available to those, boys or girls, planning a missionary vocation. We accompany them, and a monthly recollection is offered them.

The Missionaries of Africa plan opening another Centre, similar to the Pelican, in Bobo Dioulasso.