Since 2023, COOPI has been running a project in Burkina Faso, with the aim of stimulating economic development and fostering the creation of an environment of peace and social cohesion.
In the north-central part of the country, in the province of Bam, there are 118,510 internally displaced persons (IDPs), corresponding to about a quarter of the total estimated population of 476,054 (RGPH 2019 data). In recent years, the famine season in the affected municipalities has been harsher and extended at least one and a half months longer than in the past. Despite this, the displaced have been welcomed and supported by the host communities. After four years of a security crisis and an increase in internal displacement, however, the spirit of solidarity between the communities began to deteriorate, especially in terms of access to and use of natural resources and basic social services, which were already insufficient to meet the needs of the local populations before the crisis.
The Zemstaaba project aims to support around 23,000 people, including host communities and displaced persons, 40% of whom are women, 30% young people and 2.5% persons with disabilities, in the municipalities of the province of Bam. The word ZEMSTAABA means ‘understanding’ in Mooré dialect: the action will contribute to the understanding between communities and public actors, between the host community and internally displaced persons, for the inclusive management of natural resources.
To reduce economic, social and political inequalities, COOPI, through the Zeemstaba project has initiated a participatory process to identify and prioritise productive and socio-economic investments, based on inclusive community planning. The project, funded by G5 Sahel, aims to improve access to natural resources and strengthen the resilience of beneficiaries through increased agroforestry production and diversification of income sources. The main target group are young people and women, with the aim of increasing their confidence and fostering a positive perception of local authorities and institutions.
In particular, the intervention, which will last until May 2025, aims to contribute to the promotion of peace, conflict prevention and sustainable development in the areas concerned, with the overall objective of fostering a peaceful and cohesive environment in 9 communities in the province of Bam.
The interventions associated with the Zemstaaba project will contribute to building a more equitable and sustainable future for the communities involved by improving the living conditions of the families of the beneficiary communities, including young people and women, and by increasing the local mechanism of participatory consultation between the communities and the authorities for the definition of priorities for productive investments, and the local decision-making mechanisms will strengthen the trust between duty bearers and rights holders at the level of the communities targeted by the action.
COOPI has been present in Burkina Faso since 2022. The country has been experiencing a serious humanitarian crisis since 2018, linked to the rise of organised armed groups. It is an unprecedented situation of insecurity that has already generated almost 1.5 million displaced people and is weighing even more heavily on women and children. In total, the number of people in need of humanitarian assistance amounts to almost 5 million.