Burkina Faso, which has a population of around 14 million, poses significant challenges for the fight against poverty and injustice. About 30% of the population lives on less than 1 dollar a day.
The discovery of important mineral reserves gives Burkina Faso the chance to make significant advances in the fight against poverty. To achieve this, the development of the rural population – 80% of the total – will have to be the priority of the Burkina Faso government, in order to improve and protect their livelihoods and to guarantee their access to basic social services, such as health and education.
Oxfam in Burkina Faso
Oxfam has been working in Burkina Faso since the 1970s. In Burkina Faso, we work with civil society to achieve the following objectives:
Increase farmers’ incomes by improving production, and by helping to restructure and market cereals, rice, fruit and cotton;
Increase the capacity of communities to avoid and/or address the consequences of climate change on their livelihoods;
Reinforce the advocacy capacity of civil society to ensure that the government guarantees access to basic social services;
Contribute to the building and reinforcement of civil society, especially in rural communities, thereby increasing its capacity to take part in development programs (Burkina Faso is a target country for ‘Grow’, Oxfam’s global campaign);
Support the improvement of living conditions and the status of women and young people;
Provide help and support in relation to food security and/or water and sanitation during humanitarian crises;
Increase the capacity of the community to press the government of Burkina Faso for greater transparency in the mining and subsequent use of resources derived from extractive industries.