Burkinabé Community in Birmingham

Where they come from

Burkina Faso, whose name means the land of upright people, is a landlocked country in West Africa. Its capital, Ouagadougou, hosts FESPACO, Africa's largest film festival. French is the official language, and Moore and Dioula are widely spoken. Burkinabe people in Britain include students and professionals.

The community in numbers

At the 2021 Census, out of a city population of 1,144,919, 6,034 people living in the city had been born in Central and Western African countries other than Ghana and Nigeria, a group that includes Burkina Faso.

Working for Birmingham

Burkinabe students and professionals study and work in fields such as education, agriculture, healthcare and development. Many are multilingual, and they bring a strong commitment to community and to the development of their home country to their work and studies.

Much of the work that keeps Birmingham moving happens out of sight: the night shift on a hospital ward, the early start on a building site, the plumber who fixes a boiler on a winter evening, the teaching assistant who helps a child learn to read. People from every community in the city do these jobs, and Burkinabé residents are part of that everyday effort to make Birmingham a better place to live.

Culture and community life

FESPACO, held every two years, celebrates African cinema, and Burkinabe music, with its drums and balafon, is loved across West Africa. To, a dish made from millet or maize, is a staple, and the country's bronze casters and weavers are famous for their skill.

The story of the Burkinabé community in Birmingham is still being written, by students, workers, parents and pensioners who call the city home. It is a story of hard work, friendship and quiet pride, and Birmingham is richer for it.