10-06-2024 | di COOPI

Rallier: a year of progress to support crisis-affected populations in the Sahel

The "RALLIER: Strengthening Adaptable Local Emergency Response Initiatives to Support Affected Populations in the Sahel" project has recently completed its first year of activities, marking significant progress in improving the living conditions of vulnerable populations affected by conflicts and climate change in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger.

The project, officially launched on May 1, 2023, and funded by the UK Government (UK Aid Direct, Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office fund), is being implemented by a consortium of organizations, including COOPI - Cooperazione Internazionale, Mercy Corps, and ABC Ecologie. In a context of political and climatic instability, the project aims to increase resilience and access to food aid and essential services in nutrition, health, and protection for populations affected by the crisis in the central Sahel. During the first year of implementation, encouraging results have already been recorded: the project has reached 146,916 people, exceeding the initial target by 24%.

An evaluation workshop was organized

From May 21 to 23, 2024, at the Royal Hotel Beach in Ouagadougou, an annual review workshop was held to evaluate progress and plan the second year of implementation. The meeting was attended by 19 members of the partner NGOs and had the main objectives of evaluating performance, identifying the main critical issues, and formulating recommendations for improvement.

During the workshop, participants used brainstorming techniques and tools such as the "Objectives Tree" and "Word Café" to analyze the results and discuss solutions to the identified problems. This process allowed for a lively exchange of opinions between the project's regional coordination team, program managers, and the directors of the partner NGOs.

The meeting also highlighted several good practices that emerged during the first year, including the organization of joint outings as part of the rapid intervention in health, nutrition, and protection, to involve the health districts in the implementation. This approach, which involves the creation of a team of 10 people, 5 of whom are from the Gorom-Gorom health district (Burkina Faso), has great potential for sustainability.

Among the critical issues, the question of the insecurity of certain areas that compromises the possibility of reaching a greater percentage of communities, reducing the effectiveness of interventions in terms of the ability to respond to their needs, has emerged.

In this regard, among the recommendations, the participants focused on the importance of strengthening humanitarian access in insecure areas, through the installation of operational teams in the capitals of the intervention municipalities. This strategy, although requiring careful planning and the recruitment of many local agents, facilitates humanitarian intervention in the most critical areas.

The RALLIER project is committed to continuing to support the populations of the Sahel, promoting access to essential services and strengthening the resilience of local communities in the three countries of implementation. With an updated action plan and a well-defined exit strategy, the project is preparing for a second year of activities with the aim of consolidating the results achieved and facing new challenges with determination and hope.