Measuring livelihood changes among Malian refugees in Burkina Faso

23rd April 2018

The UNHCR Seeds for Solutions (SfS) project is designed to enhance the economic security of both Malian refugees and the host community in the Sahel region of Burking Faso, through interventions in the dairy sector and support to micro-enterprise initiatives. Evidence for Development have been involved in assessing the impacts of the SfS project since 2014, and we have recently completed the fourth study in a series of household economy surveys in Goudebou and Mentao camps. This longitudinal study is of great interest as it provides a rare study of a group of refugee households over time and aims to identify key factors determining household well-being and progress towards economic self-sufficiency.

The 2018 study was conducted in January-February and used the same Individual Household Method (IHM) as in previous studies. This has enabled us to compare household income levels between studies, as well as information on demography, assets and livelihood activities.

A ‘distance support’ protocol, which was initially piloted in 2016, was used for the data collection: the core team of interviewers in Burkina Faso were trained by EfD between 2014 and 2015, and subsequently supported remotely whilst in the field. This has proved to be a highly effective method of working, with important lessons and implications for working in areas where access for non-national staff is limited.

The report of this work ‘Milk Solutions for Livelihoods and Self-Reliance, Burkina Faso: IHM Evidence (2018)’ is available to view or download here