A Propos – Bianca Couture

ABOUT US

The history of the Bianca Couture Centre

Mrs OUEDRAOGO Denise, a widow and mother, founded the Bianca Couture Centre in Ouagadougou in 2002 with the financial support of her Dutch friend, Father Jan Beekman. Faced with personal difficulties, she drew on her experience to support other vulnerable girls and women. Her aim is to empower them through vocational training and help them become economically independent.

What is it all about?

The Bianca Couture Centre is a vocational training centre specialising in sewing, weaving, dyeing and soap-making. It offers a structured three-year programme for vulnerable young women, including orphans, widows, single mothers, displaced persons and women living with HIV. This school year, 164 students are being trained.

Every year, 50 new students enrol. At the end of the course, each participant receives a state-recognised diploma, a starter kit of equipment (machines, scissors, ironing board, etc.) and a micro-grant of 100,000 CFA to start a small sewing business.

Located in the Rim Kiéta district in the north of Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, the centre operates in an area that is home to many internally displaced persons (IDPs). Young women fleeing terrorist violence arrive destitute. In coordination with the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, the centre has currently integrated 37 young displaced women into a training programme offering them a path towards a degree of stability. They are also offered professional psychological support.

92%

First year

100%

Second year

92%

Third year

Why this initiative?

This initiative is a response to deep-rooted social and economic inequalities. Many girls drop out of school, have no access to employment, healthcare or protection against violence. Young mothers are often rejected by their families; widows remain in the country with little or no social support. The Bianca Couture Centre fills this gap by creating a safe space to learn, recharge and build a future.

Three-year vocational training course, recognised by the authorities, with official examinations at the end of the course.
Participants contribute as much as they can towards their training costs, and Bianca Couture does her utmost to raise funds nationally and internationally to cover the remaining costs and running of the centre.
A nursery is available for those with babies and young children who have no-one to look after them during their training.
Participative approach: quarterly feedback meetings, delegates elected by learners, joint planning of training needs and equipment purchases.
Professional and psychosocial support: food aid, referrals to health services and workshops on gender rights and autonomy.
Post-training support: each graduate receives a start-up kit and business coaching, with follow-up visits.
Financial accountability: The Association burkinabè pour la collecte de fonds (ABF) oversees budgeting, audits and reporting to donors. Quarterly and annual reports ensure transparency and learning.
A new income-generating initiative is being developed: the Bianca Futur boutique, located not far from the training centre, offers ready-to-wear and made-to-measure clothing, sold by a small group of qualified tailors. Profits are donated to the training centre.

RESULTS AND IMPACT

Since its creation, more than 550 women have graduated. Around 80 % of them have set up their own business or found a job in the textile sector. Many of them become trainers or mentors, reinforcing the centre's impact in the community.

Around 60 % graduates remain in contact with the centre and Denise, and many become members of the Wend Malgda alumni group. A study is underway to monitor and document the long-term outcomes of former trainees, including income stability, access to healthcare and family well-being.

What makes us unique

The Bianca Couture Centre sets itself apart by combining technical training, life skills, education and healthcare, and business support within a single programme. It also responds directly to the humanitarian crisis in Burkina Faso by integrating displaced women into its training model.

Contribution to the SDGs
This initiative contributes directly to :
MDG 4 - Quality education MDG 5 - Gender equality - MDG 8 - Decent work and economic growth - MDG 10 - Reduced inequalities* - MDG 11 - Education for all