For the second year, Cooperation Canada is celebrating Black History Month by highlighting the voices and contributions of Black leaders in Canadian international cooperation. Through this , we are profiling changemakers, innovators and disruptors who are shaping the sector, sharing their achievements, challenges and perspectives. By amplifying these stories, we aim to foster greater recognition of Black leadership and inspire meaningful dialogue on equity and inclusion in international cooperation. Join us in recognizing and honouring these incredible leaders throughout February!
This week, we invite you to meet Bernabe Yameogo, freelance consultant.
Why did you decide to work in international cooperation and what have been some career highlights?
As Medical Doctor at the Regional Hospital in Burkina Faso, I was part of the health district management team, which enabled us to meet with communities to discuss their health problems and how they could participate in finding solutions. I realized how important it is to support communities in the global fight against poverty, so that their health status can improve. This was the beginning of my interest to international cooperation work.
During my career, I worked at different levels, I contributed of the development of community participation in health programming in West Africa. In Canada, I was able to position Plan International Canada as the federation’s leader in the acquisition and the implementation of high-quality programming of The Global Fund to fight HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria in Africa and Latino-America, with a focus on gender mainstreaming in health programming. I also worked with Canadian Coalition to ensure that the government continued to finance appropriately the Global Fund during their 3 years replenishment.
What experiences have influenced your career as a Black person in the international cooperation sector?
Many Black professionals in international cooperation find themselves in spaces where they are underrepresented, especially in leadership roles. The good news is that many organizations are implementing diversity, equity and inclusion policy and this was great to influence Black person career in international cooperation. Accessing to networking and mentorship was crucial to my success in my career.
What are your hopes for the future, and what advice would you give to those wishing to work in international cooperation?
We had a good knowledge of the problems of international cooperation that are becoming more and more complex in a difficult economic context, but we had hope in the coordination of actions and the innovative approaches to solve development issues. We should move away from dependency-driven aid models toward empowering communities to drive their own development.
For those who want to engage in international cooperation work, consultation must be taken into consideration to develop projects that truly meet the needs of communities. They have also to keep in mind that working in international cooperation comes with challenges, bureaucracy, political shifts and sometimes slow progress. Persistence is crucial.
