Berkley Center

Background: As part of the Education and Social Justice Project in July 2014, undergraduate student Hopey Fink interviewed Norbert Nikiema, a security guard at the Center of Studies and Reflection for Students (le Centre d’Etude et de Réflexion pour Collégiens, Lycéens et Etudiants, CERCLE), a Jesuit-run center in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. In this interview (conducted via a translator), Nikiema discusses the creation of the center and how it has changed over the nearly three decades he has worked there.

Could you begin by introducing yourself and describing your role here?  

I am one of the first workers at CERCLE. I was here for the construction of the buildings and the creation of the center. I started working in the Jesuit Community before I came here. When I first started at CERCLE, my job was to clean the offices and the classrooms. Now I work as a security guard.  

Can you speak about the motivations for the creation of the center, and the initial reaction of the people in the neighborhood when the center was created?  

In the beginning, there was a lot of communication with the parish. Those who came here would talk with their friends, and that is how the word spread. It was generally middle school students who would do work here. Some of them would work as volunteers, too. If you contributed in this way, and after evaluating your work at the end of the year, you would have a reduced registration fee.  

The land here belongs to the parish. The first Jesuit priests here went to see the parish curator to talk about building a center in collaboration with the parish so that students could come study. The neighbors—the families who lived in the area—thought it was a very good thing. Because the price was affordable.

Does this collaboration between the parish and the center continue? Have you collaborated with the parish in different ways since the creation of CERCLE?  

Yes, there is still collaboration. The Jesuit fathers sometimes say Mass at the parish, and there are sometimes activities there as well.  

You have worked with the Jesuits in their community and here at the center. What are your thoughts on the Society and their values—how is it working with them?  

In general, the values of the Jesuits have helped the Society a lot. And the Society has helped a lot of people. There was no center like this in Burkina Faso. They have procured documents for students to use that they would not otherwise get, and some of the documents concern the Jesuits and their values.  

In your role now, do you have the opportunity to interact with students?

My interaction with the students here is good. Especially if they follow the rules! If they do not follow the rules, I have to reprimand them. For example, you have to have a card to come in, and if you do not have it, you have to leave and find it.

How have the recent changes with the halting of the support courses had an effect on your work?  

I get to see all of the activities like theater, sports, and other clubs. When we had those support courses, there were lots of younger students. They would organize all of these activities. I would go search for all of the materials for these activities—there was lots to do. There were a lot of students who did not follow the rules. There were a lot of difficulties. When those courses stopped, there were fewer students.  

What is your biggest challenge now?  

The biggest challenge is having enough to do. I used to do the cleaning and the gardening, too, but I do not do that anymore. There are difficult moments and moments of joy.  

If you could change something here, what would you change?  

We need to keep focusing on education. We have helped a lot. Without the support courses, we need to make sure we are still focused on education.