 Protecting women and children against violence   2022-2023

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The context

A landlocked country, particularly between Mali and Niger where terrorist groups have been rampant for the past decade, Burkina Faso has faced a dramatic rise in violence since 2015.

Terrorism, which has spread from the east to the west of the Sahel zone, has affected a large part of Burkina Faso and has brought up internal quarrels and wars. As a result, attacks by various armed groups on the civilian population have multiplied.

In the villages, many families are threatened, looted and forced to flee. In March 2023, there were some 2 million internally displaced people in a country with a population of 22 million.
The sudden departure of many farmers has brought crops and livestock to a standstill. The prices of raw materials have risen sharply and famine is also threatening the country.

Women and children are among the first victims of this situation
85% of internally displaced persons are women and children.

In addition to malnutrition, there is the psychological and physical trauma of displacement, as well as school dropout and sexual violence.

According to official Burkinabe government figures, more than 5,330 schools are closed due to insecurity, depriving more than 820,000 children of an education by December 31, 2023.

As for women, they are increasingly victims of violence in the villages they flee, but also when they are isolated during their travels or in the host town.

Demographic, social and economic tensions in the host areas
Pressure is mounting in host areas. In the north of the country, the town of Ouahigouya, with its 125,000 inhabitants who are themselves often in precarious situations, is home to over 200,000 displaced persons.

The project

It is in this context that Planète Enfants et Développement, already present in the Yatenga Province, wanted to propose a response in 2022-2023 to protect and stimulate over 1,200 children and support 50 women in Ouahigouya.

Setting up and running a "Child Friendly Space
Uprooted, deprived of schooling, sometimes violent and isolated, displaced children need to find a protective environment. So we set up an activity center, 5 days a week, to welcome displaced children, as well as children from the host town, in order to create links. The children were offered welcome meals and snacks at a time of crisis when many families are struggling to put food on the table.
An animator and a social worker organized a variety of extra-curricular activities and information sessions. By listening to children and parents, they were able to identify children in need of individual follow-up and women in distress.

Follow-up of children in great difficulty
Children in great difficulty, victims of abuse, malnutrition, school drop-out, physical and psychological health problems, were referred to the appropriate health and social services to resolve their problems.

Financial support for women in distress
Many displaced women find themselves alone with their children, in insalubrious housing, without even access to drinking water or sanitary facilities, unable to feed their children properly.
To help them get back on their feet and meet their basic needs, we paid 50 of them an allowance of €15 per month for 10 months.

Support for the professional integration of women
Our social worker also helped 25 of these women to develop their micro-businesses. They also benefited from a 6-month childcare service, so that they could devote themselves to their work with confidence and serenity.

Association des Garde Bébés (AGB):

Created in 2012 and formalized in 2017, the AGB acts in Ouahigouya to develop Early Childhood. It raises awareness among parents and offers childcare for the youngest.

Provincial Directorate of Women, National Solidarity, Family and Humanitarian Action of Yatenga :

This state department coordinates the humanitarian response in the Yatenga province. Its social workers participate in the individual care of vulnerable children.