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Burkina Faso Summer Update

Burkina Faso, Gampela Centre

Challenges here include a recent military coup, and years of domestic terrorism that have left a million+ citizens internally displaced. Dozens of displaced families have shown up at the Gampela Centre looking for food, a fresh start, and hope for their children’s future.
Published June 29, 2022, < 1 min read.

The Lord is using Pastor John’s energy and skills in powerful ways within his community at Gampela – and he gives God all the glory.

A word of thank you on behalf of the staff, the children, the parents and the community here – especially to the people who support the Gampela Centre and to those who send a word of encouragement, who tell me they are praying. It is one of the big reasons I can keep going.

John Tandamba

Over the past couple of months, Hope Story supporters have been stepping up to provide for the centre’s most pressing needs: to purchase food for school lunches, and to give emergency food relief to hungry families – both local families and those newly arrived to escape terrorism – before skyrocketing food prices in Burkina Faso rise out of reach, driven up by crisis.

Carole’s Story

Carole*, her husband, and their three kids left everything behind as they ran from the terrorists who destroyed their village in northern Burkina Faso, raping women, murdering men, and destroying everything in their path. But the family heard they would find shelter, respite, and a new home at the Gampela Centre. It meant starting from scratch.

Thankfully, Carole’s three school-aged kids attend the Hope Story-supported Gampela School, where they receive a hearty lunch fortified with the protein (fish, legumes, peanut butter) they need to concentrate on their studies and make it through the day.

*Carole is a pseudonym, for her safety


In a country where 1/3 of the children are malnourished, and where hope for a healthier, stronger future can seem remote, the Gampela Centre continues to provide a stable and nurturing presence for this community on the outskirts of the country’s capital city, Ouagadougou.

Please pray for...

the centre as they deal with the current food crisis in the country

wisdom for the team as they navigate a period of unprecedented growth

the kids as they study and work to build a stronger future to beat the odds

About the Gampela Centre

In 2012 Pastor John Tandamba had a vision to develop a school and a church in the impoverished outskirts of the country’s capital city, Ouagadougou. More than 400 students now attend this thriving school for kids up to grade 12 in primary and high school. The Gampela Centre also offers pastoral training, a medical clinic, and regular church services through Grace Evangelical Church; and it houses a preschool attended by over 300 children. With the addition of the new vocational school, the centre offers holistic care to children and youth.