Burkina Faso

Surviving Hunger : The Story of Marietou Sawadogo in Burkina Faso

Read the story of Mariétou, a herder in the village of Luguri in Burkina Faso. Credit: Samuel Turpin/ Oxfam

Marietou Sawadogo, a 27-year-old mother of four from Burkina Faso, is used to fearing the lean season, the period between the exhaustion of food stocks and the start of the harvest, which runs from June to August. CrEdit : Samuel Turpin/ Oxfam

« I have realized that diversifying my activities is the key to food security. »

Marietou Sawadogo, a 27-year-old mother of four from Burkina Faso, is used to fearing the lean season, the period between the exhaustion of food stocks and the start of the harvest, which runs from June to August: "Because of climate change, my crops are insufficient to feed my family."

Indeed, with temperatures rising 1.5 times faster than the global average, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to cultivate the land: "I used to grow cereals. But the yields are getting lower and lower. The droughts are getting longer and more severe, and the rains are getting scarcer," she explains.

So Mariétou took the bull by the horns... literally: "I decided to diversify my activities and start breeding."

But one does not become a breeder overnight. It was thanks to a project of the A2A associationthat Mariétou learned the techniques of breeding. Today, she raises oxen, donkeys, goats and poultry.

But more than that, it has also helped herto increase heragricultural yield: "Thanks to the training, I have learned to produce compost with my livestock's excrement. I use this compost to fertilize my soil. This way I harvest more hay, which allows me to feed the herd all year round. "

Of course, Mariétou is not immune to difficulties. It is sometimes difficult to get water and to pay for veterinary care, she admits. But one thing is certain: she no longer fearsthe hunger gap. "I have realized that diversifying my activities is the key to food security. If my cereal harvests are insufficient during the lean season, I sell one of my animals to feed my family," she explains with a smile.

Through the Sahelian Youth for Climate Action project, fOxfam and its partnersare enabling young people and women in Burkina Faso and Niger to implement solutions to face the impacts of climate change and allow them to continue caring for their loved ones.