Cuomo Foundation supports the Zeine Associations’ latest social action aid to assist IDPs in Burkina Faso

The Zeine Association in Gorom-Gorom is a grassroots organisation that actively promotes social projects to benefit its largely agricultural farming community.

The market town of Gorom-Gorom is the capital of the province of Oudalan, in Northern Burkina Faso.

A partner of the Cuomo Foundation since 2012 the Zeine Association latest collective project aims to improve the financial autonomy of internally displaced persons such as indigenous communities or pastoralists displaced and forced to relocate internally because their routes of migration have been blocked by conflict, landmines or insecurity. There are a number of IDP’s currently seeking temporary shelter in the Oudalan province. With the financial support of the Foundation and the technical assistance of the Town hall, Social Action and the High Commission of Oudalan province—the Zeine Association recruited five researchers to tour the region between 8-12 August to identify 100 households that they could aid with economically strengthening actions. They instigated a process known as “recheptélisation” whereby families are offered a small herd of ruminants and encouraged to breed and enlarge their stock.

As part of the first phase of this project, fifty households were offered a small herd of goats. In a social context the goats represent, beyond their agri-food asset, a form of currency thus creating valuable economic platforms for households.

To compliment this action, an animal husbandry workshop was set up to educate 100 female heads of the IDP’s households in rapid reproduction techniques, feeding and hygiene guidelines. In addition, a vaccination campaign on the livestock was carried out to prevent Pasteurellosis, the main endemic animal disease in the Sahel region.

Each of the selected households also received 30 kg each of goat feed to further support the health and growth of their herds.