A first year working with vulnerable communities

Building on our experience in West Africa, World Vision began an emergency response to the humanitarian crisis in Burkina Faso in 2021 to reduce the suffering of thousands of conflict-affected people and build their resilience to shocks.

Our first interventions on the ground consisted of improving access to drinking water and sanitation for more than 24,500 people, including 12,644 children in households, health centres, and schools. We rehabilitated boreholes equipped with human-powered water pumps and dug new boreholes. We also distributed hygiene kits to 441 households, including 2,636 children, and disseminated messages on good hygiene practices to over 17,000 people in the most vulnerable communities.

Faced with the consequences of the food and nutrition crisis in the country, World Vision responded to the immediate food needs of families and children by providing food aid in cash and in kind to 1,047 households in the Centre-North, Sahel, and Boucle du Mouhoun regions.

Although the response focused on meeting immediate and acute needs, World Vision also helped to strengthen the long-term livelihoods of communities, particularly by empowering women to provide for their children. 120 women were trained in the artisanal soap production technique and were able to improve their access to income.

We worked with communities to prevent abuse, exploitation and other violence against children through capacity building of community and religious leaders who are now ambassadors for child protection in their communities.

Expanding our impact

From two regions at the outset, activities have expanded to three other regions also affected by the ongoing crisis in the country. A total of eight projects - five of which are still ongoing - have been launched in this first year of intervention, reaching 225,690 people, including 101,020 children.

As operations have grown, so has the number of staff. From less than ten national staff at the beginning of the year, the Burkina Faso response now has more than thirty staff whose commitment and dedication to their work has enabled the implementation of operations, and a sub-office in Kaya, one of the communes with the most internally displaced people.

World Vision's projects in Burkina Faso have been implemented through a hybrid approach of direct interventions and partnerships, working with approved partners that have a proven track record of helping affected communities.

To make the vision of a full life a reality for all children, the response has been supported by generous donors such as the Dutch Relief Alliance (DRA), Visser Relief Fund (VRF), Germany’s Relief Coalition (ADH) and GAVI through support offices in the USA, Canada, Germany, Taiwan, New Zealand and the Netherlands. Resources received from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the World Food Programme (WFP) have also enabled the implementation of activities for the benefit of conflict-affected people.

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Highlights of our first year in Burkina Faso

2021: After more than 40 years in West Africa, World Vision International starts humanitarian response operations in Burkina Faso.

February 2021: World Vision International’s team arrived in BF.

April 2021: Signing of registration agreement with the government.

July 2021: Partnership with local NGOs for activities implementation.

August 2021: Beginning of the first project - “Scaling up humanitarian assistance and protection for conflict affected children and their families in the North and Sahel regions of Burkina Faso” - funded by Visser Relief Fund.

August 2021: Recruitment of the first national staff based in Ouagadougou.

October 2021: First activity with children and families: 4,399 people received cash vouchers to purchase food items.

November 2021: Realization of first borehole in Kaya, in North Centre region. It has provided drinking water to 500 beneficiaries.

January 2022: Burkina Faso response has a long term core team in place with eight national staff.

February 2022: Declaration of a Cat III Global Response in Burkina Faso in order to meet the increasing humanitarian needs in the country.

August 2022: Signing of the establishment agreement.

September 2022: World Vision operates in 5 regions.

September 2022: The number of staff has tripled.