Where We Work

Africare-Burkina Faso

Africare’s History in Burkina Faso

Burkina Faso is one of the countries where Africare’s work began. Food, water and health were the focal points of the first projects, starting in 1973. A Host Country Agreement was signed with the then government of the Republic of Upper Volta on November 29, 1974, and more than 60 projects have followed. These projects have addressed the rural populations’ basic needs for increased agricultural production, better water supplies, improved natural resource management, adequate health care and, generally, the means to rise above poverty in one of the poorest countries on earth. A landmark was the eight-year, $5.9 million project in Burkina Faso’s Seguenega sector: From 1978 to 1986, this project pioneered Africare’s concept of “integrated rural development,” in which multiple forms of assistance (social services, infrastructure and farmer training, for example) were applied to a single geographic area to improve the quality of life overall. With grant support from USAID and a variety of other donors, Africare’s program of assistance from 1973 to 2008 totaled more than US $16 million. Africare Burkina Faso’s activities have directly benefited rural communities in the provinces of Bam, Bazéga, Bougouriba, Kénédougou, Ganzourgou, Gourma, Houet, Kadiogo, Kouritenga, Mouhoun, Namentenga, Nayala, Oubritenga, Oudalan, Passoré, Poni, Sanguié, Sanmatenga, Séno, Sissili, Sourou, Yatenga, Zoundwéogo, and Zondoma.

Africare-Burkina Faso Today

Under the direction of a Country Representative who communicates with the Africare Headquarters in Washington, Africare Burkina consists of 82 employees, with all but two being local hires. The Country Office in Ouagadougou has 19 employees. The Office in Gourcy, site of the Zondoma Food Security Initiative, Phase II project (ZFSI II) houses 56 employees, including seven specialists (Medical Nutritionist, HIV/AIDS, Community Organization and Monitoring/Evaluation, Marketing/Microcredit, Agriculture, Animal Production, and Rural Engineering), and 30 community outreach agents (20 generalists and 10 nutritionist). The Office in Bobo, site of the Houet Agriculture and Nutrition Alternatives for Revenue Producers (HANARP) project, has seven employees including two specialists (a Medical Nutritionist and an Agricultural Engineer), and two community outreach agents (health/nutrition and agriculture/animal production). These 82 employees work in partnership with local Burkinabé organizations and professionals as well as the Government of Burkina Faso to implement projects funded by USAID, the World Food Program, the World Bank, USA for Africa, and others.

Africare Burkina Faso currently provides assistance to the Burkinabé through five donor-supported projects focused on food security, health and nutrition, HIV/AIDS/STI communication, prevention, care, and support. Visit the Programs page for more information on these projects and on Africare programs in Burkina Faso.

 

Country Profile: Burkina Faso

REGION: West Africa
CAPITAL CITY: Ouagadougou
POPULATION: 15,746,232*
LAND AREA: 273,799 sq. km (The size of Virginia and West Virginia combined)

Landlocked, with an arid climate and limited natural resources, Burkina Faso has been plagued for decades by drought. Today, water scarcity and the erosion of other natural resources remain major challenges, as do food shortage and malnutrition. The National Statistics Institute (INHD) estimates that nearly 40% of the population suffers from some form of food insecurity either in the sense of consuming inadequate calories and/or suffering from poor health or nutrition.  About 18 percent of the land is arable, yet some 90 percent of the Burkinabe are engaged in subsistence agriculture and thus remain consistently vulnerable to the effects of drought. Cotton is the main cash crop; sorghum, millet, maize, peanuts, and rice are the most commonly cultivated crops. Burkina Faso is the second least-developed country in the world, according to the U.N. Development Program's 2007/2008 Human Development Index.

 

 

(Updated November, 2009)