buildOn Volunteers in Burkina Faso

Stamford, Conn. (January 16th, 2015) –

During the January 15th attack in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, buildOn had five adult American volunteers, one American staff member, and five Burkinabe staff members located in the area. All buildOn volunteers, and the majority of our Burkinabe staff members, are safe and accounted for. The families were notified of the situation and we have been in very close contact with them throughout the night. We have also been in contact with the U.S. State Department, the U.S. Embassy in Burkina Faso, the FBI and International SOS to ensure the safety of our staff and volunteers, which is always our number one priority.

Our thoughts are with the families of those injured or lost during this tremendous tragedy.

About buildOn: At home or abroad, buildOn’s goal is to break the cycle of poverty, illiteracy and low expectations through service and education. Across the U.S., buildOn empowers urban youth to transform their neighborhoods through intensive community service and to change the world by building schools in some of the economically poorest countries in the world. Since 1991, buildOn has constructed 864 schools worldwide, with more than 100,000 children, parents and grandparents attending these schools every day. For more information, visit www.buildon.org.

Media Contact:
Carrie Pena
carrie.pena@buildon.org