Solidarity and inclusion in the Savanes region of Togo: refugee women and host communities join forces for economic empowerment

Togo is receiving an increasing number of displaced people from Burkina Faso. According to a government census conducted in December 2023, the country is now hosting over 37,000 refugees, nearly 77% of whom are Burkinabe, displaced by the spillover of the Sahel crisis. To meet the needs of these populations, UNHCR is supporting the local organization "Club des Femmes des Savanes pour la Promotion de la Culture" (CFSPC) in implementing initiatives aimed at empowering and promoting the inclusion of forcibly displaced women.

Fatimata, 32, arrived in Biankouri, northern Togo, in 2023 with her husband and three children. Fleeing violence perpetrated by non-state armed groups, they left their country with no resources, fearing for their lives. She recalls witnessing the murder of dozens of people and the destruction of homes, fields, and livestock in her village, Sidigué, in northern Burkina Faso.

"Non-state armed groups came to our village and killed many people. They chased us out of our homes, so we came to Togo."

A few months after her arrival, members of the host community informed her about a Community Savings and Credit Association (ACEC). This initiative brings together refugee and host community women to collaborate on income-generating activities and savings, fostering economic empowerment.

ACEC is a project of the local organization "Club des Femmes des Savanes pour la Promotion de la Culture." With funding from UNHCR, this association integrates refugee women into its activities. Fatimata joined one of these associations, specializing in gardening. The women grow tomatoes, onions, and lettuce, which they sell, saving part of the profits. Thanks to this initiative, Fatimata can feed her family and send her children to school.

"Before I joined ACEC, I felt left out and didn't participate in community activities, whether celebrations or other events. Now, relations have improved, and I'm able to support myself and buy school supplies for my children," she says, touched by the solidarity of the host community, which agreed to lend farmland to the refugees.

UNHCR provides capacity-building and financial support to local organizations working directly with communities. This approach enables local partners and first responders to improve their management systems and implement programs more sustainably, addressing the real needs of refugees and host communities.

"I welcome the collaboration between the Women’s Club and UNHCR to provide assistance to forcibly displaced persons, particularly women. I'm pleased with the community's commitment to work with them to facilitate their economic empowerment. The activities carried out within the ACECs that we are creating enable women to meet their needs and access small loans to strengthen their income-generating activities," highlights Tchede Issa Larba Aminatou, Executive Director of the Women’s Club.

However, these women face significant challenges, as noted by Nameka, a member of the host community who shares a plot of land with Burkinabe refugees. "First, we need access to water, as the well we dug is almost dry, and then we need fences to protect our vegetable gardens from stray animals," she says.

At the beginning of the crisis, refugees were shunned by the local population due to mistrust and a lack of resources. To strengthen social cohesion between refugees and the host community, the Women’s Club, with UNHCR's support, organized awareness-raising activities. These activities also address gender-based violence, providing listening and psychological support for women and children survivors of violence, as well as health services.

Djénéba, 42, received psychological support for the trauma she experienced when her village was attacked. "We arrived in Samnaba (on the border with Burkina Faso) in Togo empty-handed, and my children were traumatized. They saw people killed in front of them and had nightmares. They were able to talk to a specialist, which relieved them. Now they can sleep normally." For the mother of six, the next step is obtaining financial support to start a business to support herself.

The initiatives of the Women’s Club, in partnership with UNHCR, to promote solidarity between refugee women and host community members, are also supported by local authorities. According to Fanette Blanc, head of the UNHCR office in Togo, "Club des Femmes is a local organization that was created almost 20 years ago. It is well-known in the Savanes region by key stakeholders, such as traditional chiefs, local authorities, and health workers. It is truly an essential partner in ensuring that the response to refugee women and girls can be implemented and have the desired impact.”

In 2023, through the Women’s Club project, UNHCR supported nearly 3,000 refugee and host community women through activities aimed at ensuring their economic empowerment and inclusion. UNHCR calls for a collective effort to move these women away from dependency on mere aid and towards creating more inclusive, resilient, and prosperous societies that can positively transform the lives of refugees.