Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, 11 June 2021
Yesterday in Ouagadougou the United States Government, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), officially launched the twelve activities included in the second phase of the Resilience in the Sahel Enhanced (RISE) program in Burkina Faso. Through this program, the United States will commit more than $190 million (CFA F 111 billion) to help the most vulnerable Burkinabe build resilience to the impact of climate change, insecurity, and health risks such as COVID 19, to permanently escape poverty.
The RISE program is a regional approach conceived by USAID as a response to a historical pattern of severe droughts and other recurring stresses in the Sahel region. Activities under the first phase of RISE that began in 2013 helped individuals, communities, and local, regional, and national governments in Burkina Faso to better manage crises, pursue a diverse range of job opportunities, feed their families, and invest in their futures. Among USAID’s accomplishments in the first phase of RISE, we reduced the stunting rate by seven percent in children under five, reclaimed over 800 hectares for rice, increased access to potable water for 45,000 people, and enabled households to implement conservation farming practices across 56,416 hectares, which allowed households to feed themselves and sell surpluses, while enhancing their resilience to climate shocks.
The second phase of the RISE program broadens USAID’s collaboration with the Government of Burkina Faso to help it better meet the needs of its citizens. USAID activities focus on natural resource management, agriculture, economic growth, health, and governance. Throughout all the activities, there is a particular emphasis on empowering women and youth within their communities. Activities under RISE II will be implemented through 2025. Its priority regions of intervention are Centre Nord, Est, and Sahel.
“This project celebrates and promotes the values our two countries share in building resilience and supporting local development,” stated U.S. Ambassador to Burkina Faso Sandra Clark.
United States Ambassador to Burkina Faso Ms. Sandra Clark, Minister of Agriculture and Hydro-Agricultural Resources Mr. Salifou Ouedraogo, and USAID Burkina Faso Country Representative Ms. Karen d’Aboville attended the launch event.
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