Burkina Faso School
Family & Friends
Thank you for being on this adventure with us over the past 5 years. We’re incredibly grateful that you’ve chosen to join us in what God is doing in Burkina Faso!
This journey started with a praying pastor & his wife in Burkina Faso many years ago. In 2019 our family met Pastor Deme at a youth camp in France and learned about Burkina Faso, which led to the digging of a well, a Love Does Zoom call, a primary school building, and now a secondary school building! That is the very condensed version of the story, but be sure to watch the videos below to learn more.
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In 2023, the Love Does school opened with approximately 35 students. In 2024, that number grew to 160. Today, the school serves around 260 students—and it continues to grow every month. As Pastor Deme often says, "The need is infinite!"
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For the past three years, Love Does has funded the school’s full operating budget as well as a significant portion of its construction costs.
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We have an ambitious goal to offset 100% of the operational budget in 2026 with the help of our circle of family and friends & our Maranatha studio family. Many of you are already giving or have given in the past. Thank you!!
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​The operational budget for 2025 - 2026 is $10,700 monthly. A number we can reach together, with your help!
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If your family or business would like to contribute, you can setup a one-time or monthly donation through the link below. All contributions are made directly through Love Does and are fully tax-deductible.
We’d love to hear about your involvement! Whether it is prayer, awareness, or financial support. Please fill out the Google form below so we can thank you, share updates, and celebrate our progress toward reaching 100% funding.
Current Needs
Operating Budget / Classroom Sponsorships
Parents and relatives often cannot afford to send the children to school, but the Love Does School operates on a pay-what-you-can basis.
One time or monthly donations to support student scholarships -
$1000 monthly sponsors 10% of the operating budget, $500 monthly sponsors a whole classroom, $25+ sponsors a partial classroom.
Computer Labs
One-time donations to help fund two new computer labs at the school. We are raising funds to purchase 40 computers for computer literacy classes that will give these students a competitive start at the university level. ~$380 per computer or ~$7600 per lab. (1 lab is now fully funded!)
Maternelle School Building
We are seeking donations to build a new maternelle school building (preschool). The total estimated cost will be approximately $150,000. The current preschool is meeting in two homes that have been converted to classrooms. However, it is quickly outgrowing this space. If you would like to contribute to this building fund, please email info@maranathadance.com or hello@lovedoes.org for more details.
Donations are made directly through Love Does. Restore International (DBA Love Does), EIN 83-0417128 is a 501(c)3 public charity, therefore all donations made directly to this organization are tax-deductible in the U.S. to the extent permitted by law.
About Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso is a country in West Africa, roughly the size of Colorado, landlocked between Mali, Niger, Benin, Ghana, Togo, and Côte d’Ivoire.
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Burkina Faso is a country facing many hardships.
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The Global Terrorism Index ranks Burkina Faso as #1 in terrorism-related fatalities worldwide—the first time a country other than Afghanistan or Iraq has topped the list.
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Burkina Faso is consistently ranked one of the poorest countries in the world.​
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The Norwegian Refugee Council has named the crisis in Burkina Faso as the world’s most neglected displacement crisis.
How families near the school are affected.
Burkina Faso has a population of 22 million people, but over 2 million are displaced due to violence and terrorism. Most terrorist attacks occur near the borders of the country, forcing families to flee to the capital Ouagadougou (where our school is located). Many students at our school come from displaced families—some have lost one or both parents. Parents and relatives often cannot afford to send the children to school, but the Love Does School operates on a pay-what-you-can basis. No child is turned away—regardless of gender, religion, or financial status.​ These children not only get to receive a life changing education, but they will be surrounded by teachers and staff who love Jesus and extend that love in the classroom.
How our family became aware of the need.
In June 2019, our family met Pastor Augustin Deme from Burkina Faso, while we were volunteering at a Christian youth camp in France. He was in France leading a group of young men from Burkina Faso who were receiving evangelism training and participating in a soccer ministry. Over the course of that week, we got to know Pastor Deme well and have since developed a close friendship.
Through many conversations with Pastor Deme, we learned about the challenges faced by his church’s village, Songdin. The community lacked nearby access to clean water, and most children were unable to attend school. Pastor Deme shared his vision for the village: to provide a well for clean drinking water, build a water tower for irrigation, and to start a school.
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​First Steps​.
In February 2020, with the generous support of our family, friends, and studio families, enough funds were raised to pay for a hand-pump well in Songdin. It began with prayer, followed by fundraising, signing a local contract, and sending funds. Less than a month after funds were sent—clean water was flowing!
With the well completed, the focus shifted to the next part of Pastor Deme’s vision: building a school. We shared his dream with several of our closest friends and began praying for direction and provision. In December 2021, our friends connected us with Love Does, an organization dedicated to fighting for human rights, caring for the vulnerable, and providing education in conflict zones.
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By December 2022, construction began on the first building of the Love Does School, Burkina Faso. Just eight months later, in August 2023, the school building—along with a new water tower—was completed. The new facility offers three Primary and three Secondary school classrooms, bringing education and hope to the community.
The Love Does School, Burkina Faso officially opened its doors in October 2023 with 35 students. In just one year, the 2024–2025 school year saw enrollment grow to over 160 students. Our 2025 -2026 school year is now underway and started out with 260 students!
​Expanding to meet the need.
Our family, along with a team from Love Does, had the opportunity to visit Burkina Faso in October 2024 and again in January 2025. These trips reaffirmed the significant need in the region and gave us a firsthand look at the incredible work Pastor Deme and his team are doing at the school.
For the 2024–2025 school year, Pastor Deme transformed two nearby homes into a maternelle school (preschool), allowing nearly 50 children under the age of five to begin their education.
It became clear during our visit that the existing primary/secondary school building, with only six classrooms, would soon be unable to accommodate the growing number of students—especially as more maternelle age children would soon be moving into primary school.
In response and with the support of a generous donor, construction on a second school building began in December 2024 and opened this past October 2025. The new building can accommodate up to 12 secondary school classrooms and now allows the first building to house all 6 levels of primary school—just in time to welcome students for the 2025–2026 school year.​
About Love Does
Love Does was founded as Restore International by Bob Goff in 2002. Love Does has been fighting for human rights, caring for the vulnerable and providing education in conflict zones since 2002.