Victory Against Malnutrition Plus (VIMPLUS) Annual Results Report FY20 Report: October 2019 – September 2020

The activity was part of the Resilience in the Sahel Enhanced (RISE II) initiative, which supported vulnerable communities in Burkina Faso and Niger to effectively prepare for and manage recurrent crises and pursue sustainable pathways out of poverty. The activity's theory of change emphasized the importance of community platforms, such as learning and monitoring groups for infant and young child feeding practices (GASPA) and youth clubs, in promoting positive change among vulnerable households. The activity also focused on strengthening the capacities of local community structures, including Conseil Villageois de Développement (CVDs) and producer organizations (POs), to improve the governance and management of natural resources and land tenure. ViMPlus implemented a range of interventions to achieve its objectives, including farmer training programs, infrastructure development, and market linkage facilitation. The activity also provided support for income-generating activities, such as agropastoral production and diversification of income sources, to improve the economic well-being of vulnerable households. The activity's results showed significant improvements in the health, nutrition, and water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) status of vulnerable households. The use of health and nutrition services by women, children under 5, and youth increased, and the demand for family planning services, especially among married adolescent girls and their partners and children, also increased. The adoption of optimal maternal and infant and young child feeding (IYCF) practices improved, and the adoption of optimal household WASH practices also increased. In terms of economic well-being, the activity's results showed that the diversification and increase of agricultural production for consumption and sale improved, and the diversification and improvement of income sources for vulnerable households also increased. The activity's results also showed that the transferable life skills, such as leadership, negotiation, self-confidence, and financial literacy, for youth and women were built, and the active participation of women and youth in heterogeneous grassroots community organizations increased. The activity's results were achieved through a range of implementation strategies, including the establishment of a closer functional link between agropastoral production activities, diversification of income-generating activities, and improvement of beneficiary health and nutritional status. The activity also revised its theory of change to affirm the role of community platforms, CVDs, and POs in promoting positive change among vulnerable households. The activity's results were also influenced by the security context and the risks of severe food crises and poverty in Centre-Nord. The activity revised its zone of influence (ZOI) to accommodate the new situation, and the team ensured constant communication and collaboration with the various partners, including communal leaders and local implementing partners. The activity's results showed that the multisectoral packages for households under pressure were developed, and the path of change in governance built around these actors reinforced. Overall, the ViMPlus activity in Burkina Faso made significant progress in enhancing the resilience of vulnerable households in the Centre-Nord region. The activity's results showed improvements in the health, nutrition, and WASH status of vulnerable households, as well as improvements in their economic well-being. The activity's results also showed that the transferable life skills for youth and women were built, and the active participation of women and youth in heterogeneous grassroots community organizations increased.