Ollivier Girard is a documentary photographer specializing in global development issues for international development organizations and magazines. Born in France, he studied social work and then worked in youth centers and international organizations in Guinea, Sierra Leone and DRC before pursuing photography professionally in 2006. "Photography can play an important role in changing perceptions and mobilizing opinions for advocacy and action." He works on complex subjects such as child protection, gender, climate change, food crises and others. "Despite the challenges people in my photos are facing, I seek to bring a sensitive and positive perspective to their stories." Ollivier helps clients create custom image libraries, develop photo content for reports, promotional materials, educational campaigns and create compelling media. His images express social realities using a visual language that combines the narrative depth of documentary narration and the aesthetic sensibility of the fine arts. Clients include: WTO/EIF World Trade Organization - ECHO European Union - Danish Institute for Human Right â MENCH Germany â UNFOUNDATION - ICRC/CICR - CARE - AFD Agence Française de DeÌveloppement - Terre des hommes, Geneva â Gates Foundation â Chemonics - BuzzFeedNews â Story Hunter â Secours Islamique France - Kenyon College - University of Virginia - American Red Cross â WHO, World Health Organization â LWR, Lutheran World Federation - Johanniter International Assistance â University of Massachusetts - Johns Hopkins Hospital - The Arc of Baltimore - Pratt Library - Jewishweek, Washington DC - Wesleyan University - University of Maryland Medical Center - Baltimore Museum of Art - CIFOR - Freedom From Hunger - Washington Post â GIZ (PDDC, ProAgri) - PLAN International - Millenium Promise â UNICEF (Burkina Faso, Niger) - PSI - Fitima Foundation, Handicap Solidaire - Diakonia, UNFPA/SWEDD (Dakar, Chad, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cote DâIvoire, Niger) - The Guardian - Save The Children - TFO Canada Trade for Developing Countries
The Mauritanian Sahara is not just a landscape â it is an experience. From the towering dunes of Adrar Plateau to the remote oasis towns of Chinguetti and Ouadane, the desert invites contemplation. Nights shimmer with stars untouched by artificial light, and the rhythm of nomadic life reflects resilience and grace.
In July 2025, the hexavalent vaccine was introduced for the first time in low-income countries. It protects against six diseasesâdiphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, hepatitis B, Haemophilus influenzae type b, and polioâin a single injection.
This advance simplifies vaccination, reduces the number of shots for infants, and improves coverage, particularly in areas where access to healthcare is limited.
Already in use for 20 years in high-income countries, it is now becoming accessible thanks to Gavi's efforts to make the market viable. By 2030, UNICEF estimates that demand could reach 100 million doses per year. Mauritania and Senegal have already rolled it out with GAVIâs support.
In West Africa where most shea originates, it is traditionally women that collect shea nuts from nearby parklands, turning the oily kernels within into smooth shea butter. This requires many stages and processes, from the labor of collection and carrying to the work of boiling, drying, shelling, roasting and pounding.The effort is time-consuming and arduous, and is done by rural people living in some of the worldâs poorest countries.Now that shea is big in beauty circles and pharmaceuticals due to its nutrient rich and anti-inflammatory properties, there is opportunity to try and guide the profits from sales of creams, salves and balms to the people who need it most, meaning women in countries like Benin and Burkina Faso and Togo.Key to getting shea collectors and processors good pay is wielding the power of community rather than individuals. Efforts by local and regional institutions and international development partnerships â who are also keeping in focus private financing â are assisting people working in the shea sector across West Africa. This includes helping women form cooperatives, through which they can improve their incomes and their production skills so their shea butter is up to international standards, and work together to advocate for better prices and access needed funding.
In West Africa where most shea originates, it is traditionally women that collect shea nuts from nearby parklands, turning the oily kernels within into smooth shea butter. This requires many stages and processes, from the labor of collection and carrying to the work of boiling, drying, shelling, roasting and pounding.
The effort is time-consuming and arduous, and is done by rural people living in some of the worldâs poorest countries.
Now that shea is big in beauty circles and pharmaceuticals due to its nutrient rich and anti-inflammatory properties, there is opportunity to try and guide the profits from sales of creams, salves and balms to the people who need it most, meaning women in countries like Benin and Burkina Faso and Togo.
Zouha Mohammed is studying the intricate skill of stitching leather, which can take months to learn. But with that expertise at hand, she now has the opportunity to generate income from her creations, items like purses, bags and keychains.
Mohammed took a course in the craft in Niamey, Niger, and can make as much as 35,000 cfa (US$58) if she sells one of her bags. She said she hopes this extra cash can translate into greater financial independence.
âMany women are active in the leather and hide processing sector in Niger. This economic participation allows them to increase their income and provide for their families,â said Abdou Adamou of the Enhanced Integrated Framework (EIF) in Niger.
The story of pineapple cultivation in Benin is a centuries-long one. But its role in the formal, global trade in pineapple is a bit shorter.
Yet the country is now Africaâs fourth largest pineapple exporter, and its trade of the fruit with the European Union (EU) increased by almost six times between 2000 and 2014, reaching between 400,000 and 500,000 tons a year. But in 2017 there was a major hitch when the government instituted a voluntary ban on exports to the EU because of high pesticide levels found in its fruit.
The Benin government spent eight months resolving the use of the chemical, which farmers had been using to turn their naturally green pineapples the yellow color preferred by European consumers. Today, the government is continuing to work to improve the sector, which along with cashew and cotton is considered the trifecta of growth potential there.
Creative Direction + Production + Photography by Ollivier Girard Creative Direction + Graphic design by Grace Leong
UNICEF Niger called upon the services of Sahel Collective to develop an artistic photography project that was inspired by childrenâs dreams.
Based on the photos taken, we designed visibility materials for UNICEF Niger for 2021, which included a wall calendar, desk calendar, diary, greeting cards, and notepad.
The project was realized from concept to completion by Sahel Collective, and involved strategy, casting, costume design, set design, photography, creative direction, graphic design and layout, and print production.
