In Burkina Faso, the security crisis and climate change have led to increased food insecurity, poverty and massive population displacement. To provide a rapid response to the basic needs of vulnerable households, the “Strengthening the community resilience of agro-silvopastoral households in the Boucle du Mouhoun and North regions (RESICOM)” project is implementing various activities to promote early recovery and strengthen the livelihoods of vulnerable populations in the North and Boucle du Mouhoun regions. After 2 years of capacity-building for rural women in market gardening, sheep fattening and income-generating activities (IGA), the beneficiaries of this project are seeing their living conditions improve.
Safoura OUERMI, is a young mother of 04 internally displaced children living in the village of Minima (Gourcy commune). Originally from the commune of Titao, she was forced to leave her village with her family, leaving everything behind. Today, thanks to the RESICOM project, Safoura ‘s livelihood has improved thanks to the multiple support she receives. Indeed, to improve her precarious situation, Safoura has benefited from the project’s support to carry out 03 types of income-generating activities. These include
- Market gardening: to carry out this activity, Safoura received training in good production techniques. At the end of the training, she also received agricultural kits and improved seeds.
- Safoura used to sell doughnuts in her home village. Thanks to the RESICOM project, she has received the utensils she needs to resume this activity. Her daily profit is 10,000F (from which she saves 500F a day for unforeseen circumstances, and the rest she uses to support her husband for the family’s daily needs (food, sanitation, school supplies for 03 children, etc.).
- Sheep fattening: a complementary activity that Safoura carries out with enthusiasm and self-sacrifice, with the support of her husband. She has received 02 rams from the project, which she intends to maintain to expand her flock.
After more than a year in the village of Minima, Safoura is enjoying life with her hosts. “Thanks to the RESICOM project and the availability of the host populations, my family is flourishing. It’s a huge opportunity that I intend to seize to improve my livelihood in a sustainable way”, she confides to us with a broad smile!
“My name is Haoua SAWADOGO, I’m a 45-year-old mother of 06 children from the village of Songa (Rambo commune). Thanks to the RESICOM project, I benefited from two (02) rams that I fattened for 04 months. On the occasion of Tabaski 2023, I was able to obtain the sum of 245,000 FCFA by selling my 02 rams from the first sheep fattening cycle (one at 125,000 FCFA and the other at 120,000 FCFA). I’m very happy to have achieved this result. With this money I’ll be able to buy 02 young rams to start my second fattening cycle. The rest of the money will be used for the family’s daily needs.”
“My name is Azèta OUEDRAOGO, I’m a 42-year-old widow with 04 children in Mako village (Gourcy department). I benefited from 02 rams from the RESICOM project. After 03 months of fattening, I’ve already sold one of the rams for 75,000f. This money was used to buy a young ram, to buy school supplies for my 02 children and to meet my family’s daily needs. Through this first positive experience, I am aware that sheep fattening is a beneficial activity that contributes to strengthening my livelihood. I would like to thank the RESICOM project for its support, and I intend to apply myself even more, as this is a sustainable income-generating activity that will enable me to improve my family’s living conditions.”
“My name is Ramata BADINI, I have 05 children and my youngest is 1. The arrival of the RESICOM project in our village (Minima, Gourcy commune) is an opportunity that contributes to improving our living conditions. In my particular case, I am a beneficiary of several activities offered by the Project. I am the beneficiary of a plot of land in the market gardening perimeter: for market gardening, I received training in good practices, and at the end of the training I was provided with agricultural equipment and seeds (which enabled me to obtain a profit of 25,000f through the production of lettuce, onions and okra during the first season). In addition to market gardening, I also benefited from a kit for the sale of doughnuts and took part in training on the preparation of enriched porridge. The support I have received from the RESICOM project has contributed greatly to my family’s well-being.
Also, the equipment I received has enabled me to strengthen my doughnut business. I now have all the utensils I need to prepare a large quantity of doughnuts and earn more profit. I make 6,000 CFA francs a day, which I couldn’t do before because I didn’t have the right equipment. And to top it all off, feeding my one-year-old baby with the enriched porridge has greatly improved her well-being; she’s growing well and doesn’t get sick. With my first 04 children, I was confronted with problems of malnutrition due to a lack of mother’s milk and, above all, ignorance of the best local recipes for combating malnutrition.
Today, thanks to the RESICOM project, I’m an enlightened and fulfilled woman because I have an income-generating activity that enables me to be self-sufficient and pay for the school supplies for my 03 children. My one (01) year old baby is also doing well thanks to the enriched porridge I give him regularly.”
Ramata BADINI feeding her 1-year-old baby enriched porridge
“I’m Alimata SAWADOGO, a member of the AVEC Nabonswendé group from the village of Koundouba. I’m a clothes merchant (children and women). I started my business with a turnover of 100,000 francs from market gardening. The setting up of the “AVEC” group is a good opportunity for savings and credit, enabling us to improve our income. In my case, I took out a 25,000f loan with my “AVEC” group to increase my sales. After a month and a half, I’ve already repaid half my loan (including 12,500F). During the week, I visit two markets (Niesga and Ridima) to sell my merchandise. This enables me to sell most of my merchandise each week and renew my stock. The 25,000F I borrowed enabled me to increase my weekly turnover to 150,000F: with a profit of 50,000F per week.”
