Nuru Burkina Faso Executive Director: Local Leadership’s Importance in Development Initiatives

When $54 billion in USAID funding was suddenly withdrawn in early 2025, organizations around the globe were directly impacted, including Nuru Burkina Faso. We sat down to talk with Nuru Burkina Faso Executive Director Aïssetou Sawadogo about the local impacts, how Nuru Burkina Faso has adapted, and what she hopes for the future of the sector.

Introducing Nuru Burkina Faso’s Executive Director, Aïssetou Sawadogo

Tacy Layne: Will you tell me about yourself and how you came to lead Nuru Burkina Faso?

Aïssetou Sawadogo: I’ve been in the development world for about 25 years. It makes me feel old. I started back in university while studying sociology, and I’ve stayed in the space ever since, working as a business creator, project implementer, and later on as a grantmaker with a focus on participatory funding.

What stayed constant through this journey is my passion for community-led change. I’ve always believed that the real lasting development comes when communities are the ones leading, not just being consulted or invited in at the end. 

Aïssetou Sawadogo, Nuru Burkina Faso Executive Director

When I met with Nuru, it was honestly like finding the spirit I was looking for–the story, the model of Nuru, the values–it all resonated deeply with me. Even though most of my past work was in human rights and sexual and reproductive health, I’ve always loved agriculture. I love food–not just eating it, though I do that well, but the whole process of planting, nurturing and harvesting. There is something magical and grounding about it.

When the opportunity to lead Nuru Burkina Faso came along, it felt like everything aligned: my values, my experiences, and my love for systems that are people-centered.

Aïssetou cutting tofu into pieces to prepare for skewers alongside colleagues

Nuru Burkina Faso’s Impact

Tacy: Thank you for sharing that background. It’s really exciting to see how that all came together for you. There’s something so special about finding that job where everything clicks. Can you share more about Nuru Burkina Faso?

Aïssetou: Nuru Burkina Faso was established in 2022 with a clear mission to support vulnerable farming communities in building lasting resilience and economic opportunity. In just three years, we’ve worked alongside 20 agricultural cooperatives, reaching nearly  3,000 farmers directly and nearly 18,000 community members indirectly.

Our approach has focused on strengthening the entire agricultural value chain, providing hands-on training in good agricultural practices and post-harvest processing to add value to local crops. To support this, we distributed smallscale processing equipment and composting tools for farmers to use to practice what we teach them. We also did linkage to markets to ensure that their products get purchased. 

Nuru Burkina Faso farmers, 2024

These efforts are already showing impact. In 2024, we saw an average yield increase of 17% over the 2023 baseline, particularly for  peanuts, one of our focus crops. At the same time, we worked to improve farmers’ market access by linking cooperatives directly with the buyers. We built the cooperatives’ capabilities to negotiate for good prices with buyers, and this has enabled them to sell at better prices and negotiate from a stronger position as a group, and also as masters of negotiation. As a result, agricultural cooperatives supported by Nuru Burkina Faso have equipped  households to achieve a net income increase of 31% since 2023.

Tacy: That’s incredible. When we think about that increase for households, it’s not just money. It’s food on the table, education for children, and a lot of opportunities that people wouldn’t have otherwise, right?

Aïssetou: Yes, at one of the interviews that we did with cooperative members, a woman said she can now contribute to her children’s school fees, buy them things they need, and take them to the health facility when they’re sick. And this is all possible because of those increased yields, leading to increased income. I can think of so many stories like this that show this impact.

Women’s cooperative processing groudnuts, Burkina Faso, 2024

Ms. Compaoré Fatimata, a cooperative president shared this with me: “Thanks to the support of Nuru Burkina Faso, our daily lives have truly changed. Today, women generate their own income, make decisions, and actively contribute to the economic life of their community. We have gained autonomy, purchasing power, but above all, confidence. We no longer suffer: we act, we move forward.”

Leading Nuru Burkina Faso: Challenges and Joys

Tacy: I would imagine that, as the leader of this organization, your work has a lot of seasonal shifts because you are working with farmers. Can you share what a week in your job can look like? 

Aïssetou: Our rhythm follows the farming seasons closely. Before the rains, along with my team, I’m focused on preparation, like sourcing quality seeds, running germination tests, training farmers, and working with partners like ignitia for seasonal forecasts. When the season starts, we are often in the field, coordinating visits and running our own demonstration plots. That’s the practical time for activities like paying visits, meeting cooperatives, and making sure our support is being used well on the ground. 

The rest of the year it’s more strategic–team meetings, donor check-ins, budgeting, reports, and navigating vendor contracts or HR questions. We also use that time to strengthen cooperative governance and financial systems through ongoing training. And, of course, there is the invisible part of leadership–holding space, managing uncertainty, and keeping the mission in focus.

Aïssetou leading a meeting with her team, 2024

No two weeks are alike, and that’s what I love about my job. I like that I get to really engage in the work–whether going out in the fields or being in the office or gathering with my team to reflect.

Tacy: What else do you love about your work?

Aïssetou: This question makes me smile because there’s a lot I truly love about this work. What brings me the most joy is being part of a shift in the paradigm of aid—moving away from top-down models toward something deeply rooted in community leadership. I love seeing communities take the lead in their own development, with Nuru just walking alongside them. It’s powerful to witness how, with the right support, people grow, not just economically or in terms of nutrition, but in confidence, cohesion, and overall wellbeing. That sense of dignity and ownership, when a community starts to say “we did this ourselves,” is what keeps me going.

Aïssetou leading a meeting with a group of women, Burkina Faso, 2025

Tacy: What are some of the challenges that you face, either as an organization or specifically in your role?

Aïssetou: Let me reflect and choose the most challenging among the challenges. One major challenge is having these big, bold dreams for our communities and not always having the funding to match those dreams. This is a major challenge for me as a leader, but also for our organization. We see the potential. We know what could work, but the resources don’t always come through in time or at scale. 

And there’s a rapidly changing funding landscape. Donor priorities shift and local organizations are often the last to know, but the first to feel the impact. That instability makes it difficult to plan long long-term or retain talent on the team. 

Our work is also agriculture-centered. We deal with climate unpredictability, especially around the rainy season. Agriculture is central to our work. When the rains are late or too short or too intense, it can throw off everything, from planting to yields to loan repayment cycles. 

There is also the challenge of visibility. As a local NGO, we often have to work twice as hard to be seen globally and even sometimes nationally. There is still this perception that we struggle against–that the big ideas or innovations come from outside Burkina Faso. We constantly have to prove not only that we understand the context, but that we are also capable of leading change from within our communities.

Aïssetou handing over keys to the cooperative’s new motorized tricycle

Despite all this, we keep going because we believe deeply in what we do, and we see the impact of local leadership every day we visit the communities and the cooperatives we work with.

The Impact of USAID Cuts on Nuru Burkina Faso

Tacy: I appreciate you sharing about the challenges of navigating shifting donor priorities and limited funding. I want to talk specifically about USAID. Nuru Burkina Faso implemented the USAID-funded TIFR initiative. Can you tell me about that? 

Aïssetou: I’m still heartbroken from this. Nuru Burkina Faso partnered with USAID on the Tiligre Initiative for Farmers’ Resilience (TIFR). Tiligre means ‘something that is needed.’ This initiative was really needed by local farmers. It was a two-year local  initiative that aimed to strengthen the profitability and leadership of agricultural cooperatives through Nuru’s resilience-building approach. 

We implemented TIFR in three communes, working closely with farmers to increase their household incomes by equipping them to diversify their livelihoods and improve their ability to cope with shocks, whether economic, climate, or social shocks. TIFR also focused on building community cohesion and resilience. Vulnerabilities can be exploited by violent extremist groups, which is especially important in the context of Burkina Faso, and it was very much aligned with USAID’s focus on locally-led development. The funding was from USAID’s local development portfolio, and it reflected our shared commitment to equip communities to lead their own development. 

Cooperative members with Nuru Burkina Faso team members beside TIFR demonstration plot, 2024

Adapting to USAID Cuts

Tacy: This sounds highly valuable to the communities that Nuru Burkina Faso serves. In early 2025, though, USAID funding was abruptly cut. This directly impacted Nuru Burkina Faso, making it a very challenging year for your organization. But, you’ve done a great job adapting. What did that adaptation look like for you and the rest of the organization?

Aïssetou: The sudden cut in USAID funding early this year was a major shock, not just financially, but emotionally as well, for the whole team. Like many other organizations, we had plans and partnerships and staffing centered around that funding, so when the funding was cut, we had to pivot quickly and adapt. 

The first action that we had was applying transparency with our team, our partners, and our communities. We communicated openly about the situation, which helped build trust even in an uncertain time. 

Then, we focused on prioritizing core activities. We determined what would allow us to continue operating, but also continue creating impact and  be able to to raise new funds to continue the work. We negotiated with vendors, streamlined costs, and leaned into the strength of our local relationships. 

At the same time, we kept showing up. We used the moment as a chance to reflect on our strategy, realign, and double down on new partnerships to diversify funding and keep our community-driven strategies. 

Aïssetou meeting with her team members, 2024

It’s been a tough year, no doubt. But it’s also shown us that our resilience is not just a programmatic goal. We live it every day, and we have to keep going because we believe in our model. 

Tacy Layne:  How did the community respond to the USAID cuts?

Aïssetou Sawadogo: When we met with community members to inform them about the USAID cuts, it meant explaining that some of the equipment or support they had been expecting might be delayed—or might not come at all. Understandably, this news was difficult. Some members were discouraged, especially those who had made plans around the anticipated support. The uncertainty created anxiety and disappointment in parts of the community.

But what struck me was that, alongside the discouragement, there was also a strong current of resilience. One cooperative leader said, “That’s just the way of God teaching us to take charge of our lives and not depend entirely on others.” That kind of wisdom and perspective was incredibly powerful. It wasn’t just acceptance, it was a reframing of the moment as an opportunity to grow.

It immediately brought to mind the words of the Burkinabè historian and thinker Joseph Ki-Zerbo: “On ne développe pas, on se développe.” Development is not something done to people. It’s something people do for themselves. And that’s exactly what we’re seeing on the ground.

Woman farmer with groundnuts, Burkina Faso, 2024

Their response reaffirmed the essence of our work at Nuru Burkina Faso. We are not here to create dependency. Our role is to support cooperatives in building financial autonomy, applying good governance, and developing formal businesses. Many of these cooperatives started with very little, but they are now progressing toward managing their resources independently and making informed decisions as organized economic actors.

What’s even more inspiring is that some of them are beginning to share their experiences and mentor newer cooperatives. That peer-to-peer solidarity is the kind of sustainable impact we aim for. So while the cuts were a setback, they also highlighted the strength and adaptability of the communities we work with and ourselves. 

A Moment to Learn: Champion Local Leaders and Organizations

Tacy:  The US is not the only government that has shifted its approach to foreign assistance. There have been a lot of changes that we’re seeing around the globe. What do you think that we, as a sector, should learn from this moment in time?

Aïssetou: It’s a crucial moment for the sector. I think one key lesson is that we can’t just talk about localization. We need to truly practice it. That means that we have to shift power and trust local organizations rather than just seeing them as implementers. With all the global uncertainty, from climate to conflict to shifting donor priorities, the top-down models simply don’t work anymore. Communities closest to the issues are best placed to lead the change that they believe they need. So, as a sector, we need to move from control to collaboration, and from compliance-driven to context-driven. If we are able to do that right, then this could be a real turning point for global development and global philanthropy.

Farmer, Burkina Faso, 2024

Tacy: You really hope to see us, as a sector, take localization seriously. Is there anything else that you envision for the sector? 

Aïssetou: I most hope that we finally move beyond symbolic change and start building a system that truly values local voices, local leadership, and local knowledge. I would love to see a sector where communities are not just beneficiaries, but drivers of their own future–a sector where local organizations aren’t constantly proving themselves, but are trusted, resourced, and respected as equals. There’s also a power dynamic we should redefine–stop measuring it by how much funding an organization controls. Most of the time, all that number reflects is the organizational history of funding management. We have to start redefining power by how deeply organizations are rooted in the community and how accountable they are to their communities.

I think this big shift would help us move toward being a sector that’s more fair, more people-centered, and truly grounded in the local realities. Then, all the challenges we are facing won’t be for nothing. It would mean we finally built something that works with communities, and not just for them.

The Future of Nuru Burkina Faso and the Communities It Serves

Tacy: That sounds like a beautiful future that I want to be a part of. We’ve talked a lot about the sector. I want to bring it back to Nuru Burkina Faso. What are some of your hopes for the future of your organization and the communities that you’re serving? 

Aïssetou: I have seen examples of funders taking this trust-based approach to philanthropy, and I am eager to see more of that. So, as we establish new partnerships with new funders, I look forward to being trusted and supported in meaningful ways. It’s especially helpful to receive multi-year flexible funding, as this  allows us–and organizations like us–to sustain and grow the momentum already built with local communities while continually adapting to local challenges.

Women Farmers, Burkina Faso, 2024

My hopes are not just for my organization or other nonprofits. For the farmers and cooperatives that we serve, my hope is that they continue to grow stronger, more self-reliant, and more connected. We want to see prosperous and resilient communities, where people have real choices and stable incomes. and the power to shape their own futures. We believe that with the right kind of partnerships and support, this vision is possible, and it’s already beginning to take roots. I can see it when I visit the communities where we work.

Tacy: So, what’s going on in some of those communities right now? It’s July 2025. What’s going on in those communities right now?

Aïssetou: After three years of implementation and partnership, we can see hope and motivation in the communities that we serve. Right now, it’s a very active period in these communities. The rainy season is underway, and farmers have been busy planting. There is a mix of hard work and hope as they prepare their fields and put their plans into action. Their plans are based on their knowledge of local agricultural practices combined with the knowledge gained through climate-sensitive training provided by Nuru Burkina Faso. We’ve been supporting this phase by ensuring farmers have access to quality inputs, timely training, and weather information through our weather services partner, ignitia. 

Our team is also doing follow-up visits, offering guidance, answering questions, and making sure cooperatives feel supported as the season kicks off. It’s a crucial time of the year because what happens now sets the tone for the rest of their season, in terms of both yields and income for their families.

Community members, Burkina Faso

Tacy: And you’re still looking for new partners to support this work, correct?

Aïssetou: Yes, absolutely — we’re actively looking for new partners to support and grow this work. We’ve submitted several concept notes to different donors and are hopeful we’ll hear some good news soon.

Beyond funding, we’re also seeking technical support and strategic partnerships—collaborators who share our values and can walk alongside us as we deepen our impact and expand what’s possible for the communities we serve.