The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust Grants $2.25 Million to Nuru Burkina Faso to Increase Agribusiness Opportunities for Smallholder Farmers

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 20, 2023

Contact: Tacy Layne | info@nuruinternational.org; Michelle Tsai | mtsai@helmsleytrust.org

Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso–The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust has announced a new grant to fund Nuru Burkina Faso for the next two years. This funding of $2.25 million will enable Nuru Burkina Faso to expand agribusiness opportunities to 4,000 rural farmer families in two provinces of Burkina Faso by 2026.

The Helmsley Charitable Trust funds holistic approaches and programs to help ensure the well-being of children and families in remote communities in sub-Saharan Africa, supporting health, infrastructure, and education. Helmsley and Nuru Burkina Faso are coming together to strengthen the resilience of smallholder farmers by supporting them to increase both their cash crop production and their incomes while also professionalizing their farmer cooperatives.

The Helmsley Charitable Trust visited the Nuru Burkina Faso team in December 2022. 

Increased cash crop production is vital to the success of smallholder farmers as they transition from subsistence farming to farming as a business. Higher crop yields result in farmers having more to sell through their farmer cooperatives, leading to increased income. With this increased income, farmers have the ability to improve their farms, better meet their household needs, send children to school, and build savings to address unexpected financial shocks. 

Nuru Burkina Faso invests in the long-term sustainability of these efforts by building the capacity of farmer cooperatives and helping them professionalize their business management. Farmer-owned and farmer-led cooperatives provide sustained services to their farmer members, adapted to local needs. Over the next two years, with Helmsley’s funding Nuru Burkina Faso will support capacity development for 20 farmer cooperatives in order to improve their members’ long-term financial well-being. 

Representatives from the Helmsley Charitable Trust, Nuru International, and Nuru Burkina Faso meeting with cooperative members.

“We believe that communities know best what they need to thrive and build resilience. Nuru Burkina Faso is working to empower farmer collectives through collaboration with local communities, equipping farmers with the know-how to grow from subsistence farming into professional agribusiness,” said Walter Panzirer, a trustee of the Helmsley Charitable Trust. “We hope supporting Nuru Burkina Faso’s work to improve individual livelihoods as well as strengthen rural economies in Burkina Faso will bring positive change to the Bazega and Kourweogo provinces.” 

“It is incredibly exciting to collaborate with Helmsley and other organizations that share our goals and aim to build sustainable growth for the livelihoods of Burkinabé families,” said Nuru Burkina Faso Executive Director Noella.

About Nuru Burkina Faso:

Established in 2022, Nuru Burkina Faso is part of the Nuru Collective. Nuru Burkina Faso builds resilience in Burkina Faso by empowering agricultural organizations through the promotion of sustainable and inclusive techniques.

About The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust:

The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust aspires to improve lives by supporting exceptional efforts in the U.S. and around the world in health and select place-based initiatives. Since beginning active grantmaking in 2008, Helmsley has committed more than $4 billion for a wide range of charitable purposes. For more information on Helmsley and its programs, visit helmsleytrust.org.

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