Burkina Faso

Overview

Burkina Faso is one of the world's poorest countries. On the United Nations Development Programme's 2011 human development index, it ranks 181 out of 187 countries. More than half of the population lives on less than US$1.25/day. About 7 million Burkinans are under 14 years of age. The school dropout rate remains very high.

Economically, the Government of Burkina Faso has been working since 2008 to create a better business environment.

Burkina Faso is at the mercy of a dry and variable climate. The country is also vulnerable to market volatility in grain products and cotton.

Politically, Burkina Faso has been stable since 1987. Presidential, legislative, and municipal elections have been held regularly since 1991, but the opposition remains weak and divided. On the other hand, civil society is very active, particularly labour unions.

Burkina Faso is making progress toward the Millennium Development Goals. This progress can be seen in three areas:

• People have more access to safe drinking water―the proportion of the population using improved drinking water rose from 60 percent in 2000 to 76 percent in 2008
• HIV/AIDS is less prevalent―down from 7.2 percent in 1997 to 2 percent since 2006
• Basic education is more available―the primary school enrolment rate rose from 44.4 percent in 2000 to 74.8 percent in 2009

Thematic Focus

CIDA's programming in Burkina Faso supports Burkina Faso's Poverty Reduction Strategy, which addresses four major challenges:

• Accelerating equity-based growth
• Guaranteeing that the poor have access to basic social services
• Expanding opportunities for employment and income-generating activities for the poor
• Promoting good governance

The goal of CIDA's program in Burkina Faso is to help the country secure a future for children and youth and stimulate sustainable economic growth.

Children and youth

CIDA supports the Burkinan government's ten-year primary education development plan (in French), which aims to improve educational services and make them more accessible and to develop a skills for employment training program for youth.

CIDA also supports the implementation of Burkina Faso's national gender policy (PDF in French, 1 MB, 56 pages), which aims to make educational services more accessible to girls.

Economic growth

CIDA continues to focus on improving microfinance and developing the agri-food sector. In cooperation with Denmark, the United Nations Development Programme and the United Nations Capital Development Fund, CIDA is supporting the implementation of Burkina Faso's national microfinance strategy (in French).

Progress on Aid Effectiveness

Burkina Faso adheres to the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness (PDF, 317 KB, 23 pages).

According to the United Nations Development Programme, Burkina Faso rates as average in following the principles of alignment, harmonization, managing for results, and mutual accountability. Burkina Faso is rated good on ownership.

Canada is a member of the donor coordination group and a significant donor to the sector-wide primary education program. Canada is also the donor group leader on microfinance.

Accomplishments 2009-2010

Children and youth

• Helped build almost 38,000 classrooms, as well as latrines, safe drinking water wells and housing for teachers

Economic growth

• Helped 600 smallholder farmers increase their banana production by 17 percent

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