As part of the “Renforcement des Moyens d’existence (Renforce)” project, Solidar Suisse is promoting various community self-help initiatives, such as IFIC, to strengthen the resilience of populations vulnerable to food insecurity. This is an inter-community financing initiative that consists of providing support to vulnerable people in the form of training, animals and equipment for livestock rearing or market gardening, so that one or two years after the grant, these people contribute in kind or in cash to support others. In the case of livestock farming, the grant takes 03 forms:
- An endowment of 03 rams and cattle feed for sheep fattening;
- An endowment consisting of 03 goats, 01 billy goats and livestock feed for goat breeding.
- An endowment consisting of 03 ewes, 01 rams and livestock feed for sheep breeding.
At the end of 02 years of production, the beneficiaries of sheep fattening contribute 20,000 FCFA, and those benefiting from breeder breeding each give back one (01) male and one (01) female. These recovered donations will be used to endow other vulnerable people who, after receiving the donation, must in turn mobilize animals or money for the benefit of others, thus forming a chain of solidarity.
This initiative is complemented by community safety nets. These social safety nets aim to develop solidarity and mutual aid at community level. This approach is implemented by the beneficiaries of CES/DRS techniques. Each beneficiary undertakes to donate 21kg of food, after the harvest, for the benefit of vulnerable people, in the knowledge that the CES/DRS techniques will enable them to improve crop yields. To this end, a local village solidarity committee (CLSV) is set up in each village benefiting from CES/DRS techniques, to collect food from CES/DRS beneficiaries. The food collected is then passed on to partner associations, which organize solidarity days during which the food is distributed to vulnerable people at a rate of 50 kg of food per person.
On June 25, 2025, the 8th edition of the solidarity day organized by the Manegdbzanga association (AM) was held in the commune of Loumbila in the province of Oubritenga. On this occasion, thanks to the voluntary mobilization of 2,450 kg of cereals by CES/CRS beneficiaries for the year 2024, 49 vulnerable people, including 13 IDPs, each benefited from 50 kg of Sorghum sack. In addition, 160 goats and sheep were distributed to thirty (30) IDPs and ten (10) handicapped people identified in collaboration with the Oubritenga Provincial Directorate for Humanitarian Action.
Read some of the testimonials at the end of the ceremony, which was sponsored by the President of the Delegation Delegation of the Loumbila commune.
Issa KABORE, Provincial Director of Humanitarian Action (middle), handing over a 50kg bag of sorghum to a vulnerable household.
Mme Tamalgo Esther, Secretary General of the Oubritenga province, congratulates the organizers of the Solidarity Day, which helps vulnerable people and IDPs in the province. From her point of view, the inter-community financing initiative is a good approach that encourages the dedication of producers in their activities in order to produce enough to meet their needs and help vulnerable people.
Mrs Tamalgo (left), handing goats to a disabled person (Tibila Ilboudo in the middle)
According to Mr. Saiba COMPAORE, President of the Special Delegation of the Loumbila commune, this initiative, which comes to relieve the pain of vulnerable people facing food insecurity during the lean season, is very welcome in his commune. He encourages the beneficiaries to make good use of the donations to reduce their vulnerability.
Mr. Kassoum ILBOUDO, President of AM, “Solidarity Day is an initiative we have been carrying out since 2018, this with a view to helping vulnerable people. This day of solidarity is held every year thanks to the availability of producers who honor their commitment by each granting 21 kg of their agricultural production. This year, in addition to the food donation, the producers gathered 160 small ruminants to distribute to vulnerable people in the Oubritenga province.”
Mr. Tibila ILBOUDO is a disabled beneficiary of the donation of 03 goats and 01 billy goat. He expresses his gratitude to the donors who, through this donation, will enable him to carry out an income-generating activity to meet the needs of his family.
“I’m OUEDRAOGO Aïssata, a member of the Neerwaya Cooperative in the village of Noungou (Oubritenga province). In 2023, I received 04 goats (01 male and 03 females) as part of the inter-community financing initiatives organized by AOS. Today, I have just donated 02 goats from my herd of 10 animals to help other vulnerable people. I’m proud to see my herd being developed to help vulnerable people. I appreciate this initiative, which promotes solidarity between vulnerable people. Thanks to this initiative, today I’m a financially independent woman. In addition to breeding calves, I grow vegetables and use animal waste as compost for production. I invite today’s beneficiaries to apply the knowledge they’ve acquired about cow-calf breeding to develop their livestock so as to perpetuate the inter-community financing initiative promoted by AM in partnership with Solidar Suisse.”
OUEDRAOGO Aïssata (right), former IFIC beneficiary (in 2023) handing over goats to a new PDI beneficiary.
GODO Aïssa “I’m originally from the commune of Gayéri (Eastern region). The difficult security situation forced me to move to the town of Loumbila 03 years ago. I used to raise livestock in my home village, but with the sudden move, I didn’t take anything with me. Thanks to the Renforce project, I’ll be able to resume this activity properly through the donation of animals and the training I’ve received on good breeding practices.”
The project is supported by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and LED.
