We have been working in Burkina Faso since 1993 to promote financial inclusion, health protection, poverty reduction, food security and resilience for poor rural women.
Burkina Faso is one of the poorest countries in Africa, with 44.6 percent of the population living on less than $1.25 a day. It is located in the Sahel region on the edge of the Sahara desert. The livelihood of most of the population is based on natural resources, increasing the pressure on an already fragile ecosystem. Women are the primary farmers, but their lack knowledge of new farming techniques means they use established practices that result in lower crop production.
Through the Building Resilience in Burkina Faso initiative, we work with women’s savings groups to teach improved agriculture techniques, deliver financial services and educate group members and their families about health and nutrition.
Our Bridge to Financial Inclusion initiative is a large network of self-managed savings and lending groups led by our in-country microfinance institution partners. The partners deliver high-quality financial education to group members, link them to specialized savings accounts through mobile technology and maintain a more formal customer/client relationship that includes offering new financial products they come available.