Burkina Faso’s civic space has faced significant setbacks, according to the CIVICUS Monitor 2024 report, which downgraded the country to “repressed” after a drop of 12 points, from 46 to 34. During a prolonged transitional period under military rule, dissent was silenced and media outlets were censored. Combined with persistent insecurity, humanitarian crises, economic strain, and limited civic freedoms, life in Burkina Faso remains deeply challenging. Yet, despite these pressures, threads of community resilience, modest economic improvements, and efforts to strengthen public services are emerging.
Over the past four years, the Giving for Change programme has been implemented by the L’Association Burkinabè de Fundraising (ABF) across six regions, working to strengthen community philanthropy and local resource mobilization. To reflect on its progress, GFCF Global Network Weaver Ese Emerhi and GFCF Advisor Barry Knight spoke with the ABF team about their experiences and the programme’s impact. The conversation, held in May 2025, explored the shifts in community leadership, empowerment, and advocacy that have taken shape.
ABF Executive Director Abdoulaye Sawadogo described the programme as a major catalyst for change, especially because it places communities at the center of decision-making rather than following traditional top-down donor models. Instead of passively receiving aid, communities now drive the change they want to see and actively engage government agencies to influence policies affecting their lives. This shift was reinforced by establishing accountability within Community of Practice (CoP) leaders and ensuring that trainers and leads came from the regions where the projects were implemented, building trust and legitimacy from within.
Programme lead Malo Debe shared his personal transformation, noting that he learned advocacy skills through the Change the Game Academy and witnessed firsthand how empowered communities can shape their own futures. Although initially challenging, many participants now express regret that the programme is ending just as progress becomes visible. For Lenie Hoegen Dijkhof, who has spent more than 30 years working on disability rights, the Giving for Change programme demonstrated that real change comes from practice-to-policy, not policy-to-practice. She highlighted how voices once overlooked are now actively influencing decisions and strengthening community power.
Despite achievements—including the involvement of 60 community-based organizations, eight regional leads, and an annual National Philanthropy Forum—ABF now faces uncertainty as donor funding declines. The programme concludes in 2025, and sustaining progress is their greatest challenge. Many rural communities remain unaware of their legal rights, laws are poorly enforced, and persistent insecurity obstructs implementation. Sawadogo emphasized that transformative change needs long-term commitment, estimating 15 years rather than five.
As donors such as the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs withdraw support and USAID winds down, ABF seeks new funding through co-financing models that require at least 25% local contribution. Dijkhof stressed that international aid remains essential, describing claims that local resources alone can sustain development as unrealistic. She warned that expecting civil society organizations to operate without external support is “like asking us to dive into an empty swimming pool.”
Looking forward, ABF aims to expand the programme to seven additional regions and hopes Giving for Change will assist in producing advocacy materials that demonstrate impact to attract new donors. Debe added that global challenges such as climate change, poverty, hunger, and human rights violations require shared responsibility, arguing that reducing funding ignores the interconnected nature of these crises. For the programme’s gains to endure, he believes continued support is indispensable.
In Burkina Faso’s difficult environment, Giving for Change has sparked a movement rooted in dignity, collective action, and local leadership. The seeds have been planted—now, the challenge is ensuring they survive long enough to bear fruit.
