Cash assistance, livelihoods and water help women affected by conflict

Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger | 2024 | CBPF

Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger. Agnomate, in her seventies and blind, was struggling to afford food in southeastern Mali. In Niger, members of a women’s group came together to make and sell peanuts, but they needed better machinery. In rural Burkina Faso, broken water pumps meant women and children had to walk far for clean water.

Three recent initiatives supported by the Regional Humanitarian Fund for West and Central Africa show the breadth and impact of the fund’s work.

Cash assistance for vulnerable elders in Mali

In Assakaraye, southeast of Menaka town in Mali, Anogmate Wt Wiridene was struggling to feed her family after being forced to flee her hometown. With no source of income and limited access to support, her situation was increasingly dire.

Mali continues to grapple with a humanitarian crisis mainly driven by persistent conflict-related violence and climate shocks. In 2024, this was exacerbated by unprecedented extreme heat and floods.

Through the Jigui Tugu project, implemented by AMSODE in partnership with Terre des Hommes-Lausanne and with support from the RHPF-WCA, Anogmate received immediate cash assistance and the means to rebuild her livelihood. She accessed a cash grant for basic needs like food and medicine, as well as a herd of goats.

“Before I got this help, I didn't know how to feed my family. Every day was a struggle. Today, I look to the future with more serenity,” she says. The goats have enabled me to support my household and regain some stability. It has given me back hope and dignity.”

Her story reflects the project’s broader aim: to pair emergency assistance with the sustainable support that helps people stabilize their lives after a crisis

Food security and shelter assistance in Niger

In Diffa, Niger, the Kamchedji Koulouwou women’s group has shown how targeted support can empower communities even in the most challenging contexts. Formed in 2020, the group includes 20 women engaged in peanut processing—an income-generating activity hindered by outdated tools and lack of resources.

Niger also faces a multidimensional crisis stemming from extreme climate events, growing insecurity, rapid population growth, and chronic poverty. With low resilience to shocks, the country remains highly vulnerable. By the end of September 2024, Niger had registered 507,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs), marking a 12 per cent increase from the previous year. The Tillabéri and Diffa regions were hardest hit, hosting nearly 78 per cent of all IDPs, while the previously unaffected Dosso region registered around 5,000 new IDPs.

With RHPF-WCA funding, the national NGO ADESA, provided the group with equipment like hullers and oil presses, as well as training in financial management and cooperative practices. This support enabled the women to take control of production processes and significantly increase their income.

“This equipment saves us time and energy,” explained a group member. Today, the women produce high-quality peanut oil, cakes, and snacks—transforming raw materials into products with greater value and demand.

Essential clean water in Burkina Faso

In eastern Burkina Faso, long-standing water shortages had forced residents of Fada and Bogandé to walk several kilometers every day to collect water. Women and children bore the burden of this daily task, limiting their time and energy for other essential activities.

Rehabilitating boreholes and improving access to safe water were the priorities.

“Before we completed this borehole, our daily lives were a constant struggle for access to water,” says Dayamba Atinbouga, Borehole Manager in Fada. “Imagine walking five or six kilometers under the scorching sun—an exhausting chore that weighed heavily on every member of our community, particularly women and children. He adds, “Today, thanks to this project, a vital source of life has emerged in our area. The borehole is a real symbol of renewal.”

From Mali to Burkina Faso to Niger, the RHPF-WCA is enabling humanitarian organizations to respond where people’s needs are urgent and access is limited—bridging them immediate relief with long-term recovery.

Posted May 2025.

Pooled Fund impact stories

For more information on the Regional Humanitarian Fund for West and Central Africa,

Based on an original story from OCHA ROWCA.