Association Woo-Laa

Raising Awareness and helping in the Fight against Witchcraft Accusations

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The Association

The name of the association, Woo-Laa, means in the language Kassim "a useful thing". The association espouses for the victims of witchcraft accusations. The outcast women and their affected family members are being supported by the association.
Through the means of awareness campaigns preventive action is taken against the repudiations and expulsions. The association, which is mainly self-financed, has dedicated its work towards the development of Burkina Faso through the means of education.
The association is, by the language courses it offers, mainly self-financed. This way it supports the development of Burkina Faso through the means of education and information. By explaining the witchcraft accusations to the population, Woo-Laa works for the recognition of human rights, and especially women rights. Our members are volunteers.

The association's seat in Ouagadougou

The association was founded in 2003 by a group of persons for the development of the rural population. Elementary education in the rural areas of Burkina Faso is still unsufficient. The illiteracy rate is one of the highest in the world. In the first years of Woo-Laa the association has therefore mainly carried out literacy classes in villages and the border districts of Ouagadougou. On these occasions the Woo-Laa members became witnesses of the expulsion of women because of accusations of witchcraft and decided to commit their work to the rights of women in the villages and fight against this practice.
The achievements of the association so far:

Woo-Laa has organized jointly with the leaders of the "Cour de la solidarité" in Paspanga and the centers of Delwendé and Tanghin as well as the support of the friends of the "Cour de la solidarité" a day of open house in 2007
In 2008 and 2009 four-month literacy courses were organized in Delwend´ and Paspanga.
A database of women being accused of witchcraft was created and is kept up-to-date.
The children of the excluded women of Kourwéogo were helped with the school fees and/or supplied with school materials.
The 6. 12. 2009 Woo-Laa organized a day of sensibilization in Boussé about "The results of accusations of witchcraft".
The organization allowed sight tests and the donation of glasses in Paspanga and Delwendé.