Like many African nations, Upper Volta was under the tight grasp of French colonial rule for over 100 years until gaining independence in 1960. After many years of political unrest, 33-year-old Captain Thomas Sankara became President in a military coup led by his army colleague Blaise Compaoré in 1983.
On the one-year anniversary of the coup that brought Sankara to power, he renamed the country “Burkina Faso” which translates from the indigenous language of the country to “land of upright people.” Sankara transformed the nation by initiating programs that aimed to empower women, increase access to education and healthcare, and end environmental degradation.
With hope for a “green Burkina,” citizens planted 10 million trees over the course of a fifteen-month People’s Development Program. Additionally, two and a half million Burkinabé children and children from neighboring countries were vaccinated against measles, meningitis, and yellow fever. As a supporter of the liberation of women, Sankara was also dedicated to establishing gender equality. As President, he oversaw an increase of women in powerful government positions, outlawed female genital mutilation, and promoted contraceptives.
The Sankaran social transformation was accomplished by way of endogenous development and the understanding that each person has a responsibility to their environment. Sankara understood the direct link between capitalism and consumption, and the harmful effect it has on the environment. Thomas Sankara’s work was instrumental in the liberation and development of the Burkinabé people. His revolutionary practices were ahead of their time and remain a lesson that other countries can benefit from.
“It took the madmen of yesterday for us to be able to act with extreme clarity today. I want to be one of those madmen. We must dare to invent the future.”
-Thomas Sankara