Ouedradgo Mariata is an Internally Displaced Person (IDP) residing in an informal IDP camp on the outskirts of Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. Before Pull for Progress arrived, there was little to no assistance from any outside source. The camp’s villagers were doing the best they could with what they had. The camp had around 1,500 people in it, including 500 children, 700 men, and 200 women. The high rate of men in the camp is because extremists tend to kill off the men, so they have to flee. The two primary concerns highlighted by Ouedradgo and as echoed by her fellow villagers was receiving proper nutrition and the children’s education. Ouedradgo fled from Soum, where she was working as a healthcare worker in charge of malnourished children for five years. Then in 2019, her life turned upside down and she and her four children escaped with little on their backs. When we met her in 2021, she had no job, no income, and felt dissatisfied with the village’s state. She explained there was no system to find jobs, no way to get the kids to school or afford it. With Pull for Progress, she became a facilitator with the Community Health Clubs and also learned from the Stop the Bleed program to be able to share this vital information with others. She also used her voice to become a community leader and has been able to advocate for their unique needs. Ouedradgo is key to Pull for Progress’ success in this IDP village and particularly with implementing the Stop the Bleed program.
