Resilience and income creation in the Sahel

This project started in July 2020, in a particular context of poverty linked to the effects of COVID-19, which appeared in March 2020 in Burkina Faso and Mali. Due to the pandemic, the local economy and the entire production systems collapsed completely, with all production in the already impoverished cross-border area between Burkina Faso and Mali being thoroughly impacted. In this context of shock and distress the project began its activities under the expertise of UNITED TEAMS – the strategic alliance of the YOU Foundation and HOPE’87 – in partnership with the rural municipalities areas of Finkolo in Mali and Koloko in Burkina Faso and with generous financing of the “ZF Hilft” foundation (Germany).

Faced with this situation, the project team had to reorganise their activities to make them operational and efficient, considering the COVID-19 situation and the agricultural season in the project area, which lasts from May to October. Despite all these difficulties, activities were implemented and had a positive effect on the following: On the behaviour and organisation of target groups, the rational and economic use of drinking water and in the context of agricultural production, the target groups’ income increasing, the field of proactive advocacy for peace to lead to an overall healthy life and on a balanced diet supply, particularly to infants and young children.

This multi-approach project was an adapted and innovative response in the field of sustainable development in the cross-border area between Burkina Faso and Mali. It provides support for capacity building of economic interest groups and for agricultural and poultry production, environmental protection, training for mothers in infant and young child feeding, rational management of natural resources, accessibility to drinking water, facilitation of transport conditions between production sites and markets. Furthermore, it aims to create community sports and cultural infrastructures to consolidate peace between the populations of the project area, with a special focus on young people in order to improve their living conditions at home and not let them be tempted to migrate.

The essential factor of success of this project was the strong mobilisation of beneficiaries, which was caused by the participatory approach of the project. This approach involved the beneficiaries in the choice of activities and implementation periods were chosen according to beneficiaries’ seasonal calendar and the satisfaction of their needs. Thus, at the end of this year of implementation, the foundations for lasting resilience and income creation in the project area of the Sahel have been laid.