Standing Strong

In March 2014, we tasked a small, three-person film crew to capture the first-hand experiences of Trickle Up participants; women living in extreme poverty taking an incredible eighteen-month journey to defy the social, economic and environmental barriers which perpetuate poverty in its most extreme form. We travel from New York City to Ouagadougou, the capital city of Burkina Faso, a land-locked country below the Sahel in the center of West Africa. A further two hour drive from the capital we meet Mariam, Juliette and Awa–women once living in the direst poverty, on the margins of small desert villages–who have seized the knowledge and tools Trickle Up provides to build thriving livelihoods and social solidarity with other women that now allow them to say:

“Now we can buy schoolbooks, medicine, and we put food on the table every single day.”

“Now, I have a store selling clothes, necklaces and shoes. Before, I couldn’t even provide shoes for my children.”

“With Trickle Up, we work together to support one another. The savings group is powerful; we became like a family. If someone has a problem, we’re on her side.”

Trickle Up Burkina Faso Country Representative Alexice To sheds light on the condition of extreme poverty and Trickle Up’s innovative program aimed squarely at eliminating it. Hear the stories of these women in their own voices, speaking from their own experience, who now have the confidence and resources they need to change their lives and their communities.