“He who feeds you, controls you” – Legend Thomas Sankara’s legacy lives on

In only 4 years in power (1983-87), Thomas Sankara Built 350 schools, roads, and railways without foreign aid    

Increased literacy rate by 60%   

 Banned forced marriages    

Gave poor people land    

Vaccinated 2.5 million kids 

Planted 10 million trees    

Appointed females to high governmental positions, encouraged them to work, recruited them into the military, and granted pregnancy leave.

 Sold off the government fleet of Mercedes cars and made the Renault 5 (the cheapest car sold in Burkina Faso at that time) the official service car of the ministers.     

He reduced the salaries of all public servants, including his own, and forbade the use of government chauffeurs and 1st class airline tickets.    

As President, he lowered his salary to $450 a month and limited his possessions to a car, four bikes, three guitars, a fridge, and a broken freezer.   

He opposed foreign aid, saying that “he who feeds you, controls you.”    Drove out French imperialism & withdrew Burkina Faso from the IMF