Infrastructure Water and sanitation

We are continuously working on water and sanitation to find long-term solutions, at both community and family level. These are issues that are necessary for health and life, and thereby a basis of all human rights, and they are also fundamental for development.

Location

Nakamtenga, Burkina Faso

Supervisor

Bernard

Status

Ongoing since 2006

Contributing to these

Global Goals

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Water and Sanitation

– Two additional deep drilled wells with water towers need to be installed to ensure access to clean water for all the other activities and the population.

– Latrines need to be subsidized to all village households.

– The pond in the village needs to be further deepened and sealed, and the right types of trees need to be planted, to reduce evaporation,

– we need both expert help to do this right and financing.

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ABOUT THE PROJECT

A hundred years ago, child mortality in cities such as Stockholm and Paris was as high as today's worst-hit developing countries. One of the reason is the lack of clean water and sanitation.

If you want to save the world, then investing in water is a very good start!

We are constantly looking for new and improved solutions to meet the need for water. The basic conditions in Burkina Faso are not easy. The country has no coast, but lies on the edge of the Sahara. Desertification is a tangible fact. The large rivers seen on the map only have water during the rainy season. Child mortality is still alarmingly high and access to clean water and sanitation is waning.

Access to water is a prerequisite for all our operations and for the people living in the area. We are convinced of the importance of a major investment in water and sanitation, for the development of society, and not least of the reduction in child mortality.

Clean water

The village has a deep-drilled well with a water tower that provides clean water to both the village centre, and many families close by. So far, this well has provided enough water to cover the needs. But as the need for water is constantly increasing, and the population in the whole area seek water in Nakamtenga during periods of water scarcity, we need to build a new one. To reduce the dependence on the public publicly provided electricity, which is very expensive and uncertain, we have installed a water pump that is powered by solar energy.

Toilets, latrines

We have out-door toilets (Latrines) in connection with all our own activities, including preschool and the school. The goal is now for all households in the village to have access to latrines. Out of 142 households, 30 percent now have a latrine of their own. We have tested different models over the years until we found a model that works well over time, for family use. It is a good, cost-effective latrine, easy to use and to empty. The urine and excrements are kept in a closed plastic bag in the sun, and after a couple of weeks, the contents become useful fertilisers.

The community pond

A pond is beautifully located near the community's restaurant. The water is used for laundry and other household needs, for watering animals and for irrigation. However, the dam only holds water for a few months after the end of the rainy season. Several attempts towards deepening the pond have been made and plans for diminishing infiltration and evaporation have been discussed, but until now we have not had resources to complete this assignment.