Burkina Faso: When the state makes entrepreneurship a pillar of support for widows and war victims
Since 2015, Burkina Faso has been facing a devastating security crisis. In response, the State has placed entrepreneurship at the heart of its strategy to support widows, orphans, and war victims. This approach reflects a firm commitment: to transform pain into dignity, vulnerability into self-reliance, and to provide the families of fallen members of the Defense and Security Forces (FDS) and the Volunteers for the Defense of the Homeland (VDP) with the means to rebuild their futures.
The Agency for Support to Widows, Orphans, and War Victims (ASVOVIG), created specifically to assist these vulnerable groups, is deploying ambitious economic empowerment programs.
In 2025, 385 widows, orphans, and war victims were trained and graduated in a range of marketable trades, including poultry farming, two-wheeler mechanics, office computing, sewing and tailoring, hairdressing and aesthetics, pastry and cooking, and soap-making.
The President of Faso, Captain Ibrahim Traoré, has reaffirmed his personal commitment to these families.
During exchanges with the widows of fallen combat forces, he announced that state funding would support those who wish to start a business or are already engaged in entrepreneurship.
For qualified graduate widows, recruitment quotas have been set aside within the public administration and in newly established factories.
ASVOVIG’s work goes beyond training. The agency now plans to diversify its training offerings, provide personalized post-training follow-up, and support beneficiaries in their business startup projects, with the goal of achieving lasting self-sufficiency. This holistic approach also includes psychological and socio-educational support, recognizing that reconstruction requires multidimensional care.
On the financial front, new decrees issued in January 2026 strengthen compensation: two million CFA francs for moral damages, plus material compensation for destroyed property, and a delegation of salary arrears to eligible dependents.
Through ASVOVIG and these structural measures, the Burkinabe State demonstrates that it views entrepreneurship as an essential lever for dignity and reconstruction for widows and war victims, turning tribute to fallen heroes into concrete action for their families.
Hadja KOUROUMA
