Burkina Faso

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Some key results (2020)

109,200farmers supported through improved access to finance
13,200 women received business skills training
63farmer organisations strengthened their production and marketing skills
16,000women learned how to make and use of low-cost wood stoves

Global Peace Index

121/ 163

GPI Rank

Political Instability

Safety & Security

Ongoing Conflict

Source: Global Peace Index (2020)

Country Office

Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso

Avenue Père Joseph Wresinski, Patte d’oie
BP 108 Ouagadougou 01
Phone: +226 25 37 20 50

The Burkina Faso office is part of our West Africa Cluster.
Cluster Director: Iris Hartevelt
Email: [email protected]

Country Manager

Lassina Sanou

[email protected]

Cordaid in Burkina Faso

Cordaid has been working in Burkina Faso for more than four decades via its global office in the Netherlands and the regional office in Bamako. Since 2016, Cordaid’s interventions are carried out directly from the country office based in Ouagadougou, in close collaboration with local NGOs. In Burkina Faso, we work in the fields of food and income and health care.

Where does Cordaid work?

In the regions of North, Central-North, East and Sahel, we work hard to improve the food security of the population by developing a sustainable fisheries sector with lots of job opportunities for young people and women in particular.

With our local partners, we support rural communities in the Shea Zone. This in an area in Burkina Faso that is famous for its many shea trees and the production of shea butter. Through our interventions the - mainly - women working in the shea industry learn how they can better manage the landscape, preserve the ecosystem and at the same time improve their livelihoods.

In the region of Hauts Bassins, Cascades, Southwest and Boucle du Mouhoun, we contribute to the sustainable and inclusive growth of the sesame value chain by increasing the incomes of 8,000 smallholder farmers.

20,9 Million

Population

Rural population

Urban population

1.9% annual

GDP growth

25.9 per 1,000

Mortality rate, neonatal

Source: worldbank.org

Current situation

Burkina Faso is a low-income country in the Sahel. Agriculture makes up 80% of its economy and according to the World Bank, more than 40% of the population lives below the poverty line.

The growing insecurity in the border region between Mali and Niger, has led to a large number of internally displaced people. The country is also subject to frequent and severe natural disasters, such as drought, floods and locust invasions.

In Burkina Faso, the sexual and reproductive health of populations remains a major challenge. According to the demographic health survey (DHS) 2015, the contraceptive prevalence rate was 22.5% with unmet needs in family planning of 19.4%. Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) remains widespread, two-thirds of women (63%) in Burkina Faso have been victims of FGM.

Despite the government’s efforts to improve access to healthy food, there is still a long road ahead. With our programmes on improving Health, Sexual and reproductive rights and the agricultural value chain, we stand by the people of Burkina Faso to get through these serious challenges.

Cordaid in Burkina Faso

In Burkina Faso, we work in the fields of health care and sustainable livelihoods and currently focus on:

entrepreneurship and youth employment;
financial inclusion of small farmers and micro, small and medium-sized enterprises;
agricultural value chains and inclusion of small food producers;
promoting sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and boys.

Across our projects, we apply cross-cutting themes such as gender mainstreaming, climate change resilience and responsible business conduct.

Food and income

Through our fish farming programme, we address the issue of food security by offering economic opportunities, encouraging entrepreneurship and promoting job creation, especially for young people and women. Providing a future perspective for these target groups is essential to the country’s stability and peace.

Members of Nununa federation process shea nuts into butter. © Cordaid / Amadou Keita

In the Innovating For Impact in Sesame programme, we strengthen the organic sesame value chain by developing technological and logistical innovations, such as improved seeds, farming techniques, traceability system, mobile phone payments are applied by sesame producers resulting in better product quality and lower transaction costs thus realising a higher income. This way, we create sustainable livelihoods, and we make smallholder farmers in Burkina Faso more resilient against potential future disasters.

Many people in Burkina Faso have to deal with the challenges of poverty and the loss of biodiversity. In the Birds, Bees & Business programme, we support people in the Shea Zone to better manage the landscape and preserve the ecosystem.

Health care

Cordaid provides sexual and reproductive rights (SRHR) training to teachers, nurses, midwives, and matrons. Through these SRHR skills, they can provide the necessary support to people in the most remote communities.