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KOOM LA VIIM NEWS

W e s t A f r i c a W a t e r S u p p l y , S a n i t a t i o n , a n d H y g i e n e P r o g r a m

( U S A I D W A - W A S H )

Volume: 15/2016

Content

USAID WA-WASH analyz-

es WASH context in

Burkina Faso

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USAID WA-WASH analy-

zes WASH context in

Côte d’Ivoire

4

USAID WA-WASH analyz-

es WASH context in

Ghana

6

The impact of Aquat-

abs promotion in the

rural areas in Niger

8

The chief of the

village of Barago, a

model for CLTS promo-

tion

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Important past events 10

Upcoming events/Photo

tour

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Volume: 15/2016 Date: September 2016 Volume: 15/2016

Editor ’s note

KOOM LA VIIM means

water is life in

mooré, a lo cal

language in Burkina

Faso. This electronic

newsletter publishes

information generated

in the course of the

implementation of the

USAID WA-WASH Program.

Beyond the topic of

water, this newsletter

introduces issues

related to USAID WA-

WASH interventions.

W i t h t h i s

communication channel,

we aim to share with

you useful information

about our program

activities.

Eidtor:

Dr. Lakhdar Boukerrou

Writers: Souleymane Zaré,

Mariame Traoré, Tengué

Kossi, Jerry Noël

Tchounga

Photos: PR/C Department

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

It is that time of the year when we start reflecting on the past and planning for the future. The New Year is almost here! While 2016 is coming to an end and as we complete our fifth year of presence in West Africa, we look ahead to 2017 with hope and excitement. The New Year with its work plan is going to provide a number of challenges for us. As I have discussed in one of our previous newsletter, our Phase II has three objectives, in a nutshell: (1) coordinating activities with the USAID WASH implementing partners in West Africa to enhance the dialogue between water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) stakeholders and USAID WASH implementing partners in a number of countries; (2) building institutional and human capacity of regional WASH organizations as we work with three organizations involved in water and sanitation in both rural and urban areas; and (3) monitoring the sustainability of our past activities in Burkina Faso, Ghana and Niger with regular field visits to our previous target communities. The WASH coordinating Secretariat has conducted a number of studies on the WASH context in Burkina Faso, Ghana, and Cote d’Ivoire. In addition, we have also completed two studies (Cote d’Ivoire and Benin) on the potential of public-private partnerships (PPP) in WASH. The reports of these studies will soon be on our website. Our next CS meeting is taking place December 12-14 in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire where over 35 people are expected to participate in a exchange of ideas on the WASH sector in Cote d‘Ivoire and associated field visits. Three organizations are targeted under our capacity building objective, such efforts are focusing on: the African Water Association (AfWA), the Centre d'Etudes Economiques et Sociales de l'Afrique de l'Ouest (CESAO), and the Water Resources and Coordination Center (WRCC) of the Economic Commission of West African States (ECOWAS). The capacity building efforts which involve staff development, setting up of various organizational and management processes, and development of procedures and rules to ensure efficient operation are mainly geared to develop the institutional and human capacity of these organizations. We are working with consultants and West African consulting firms to achieve this objective.

While we phased out field investments (water provision, sanitation, hygiene, food security, etc.) we continue to ensure the productivity of such investments. We are monitoring the impact of our past activities on the beneficiary communities in Burkina Faso, Ghana, and Niger. Our plan involves the monitoring a total of 72 communities in the three countries. These communities are visited twice a year. The strengthening of the participation of the local populations in the sustainability of past investments remain a priority, something that could be accomplished by encouraging partnerships, promoting private sector involvement, and bringing regional organizations to focus on the issues of water and sanitation services. The biggest challenge faced by a number of programs remains the behavior changes that are needed to ensure the sustainability of any field interventions. The policy changes that will ensure the success of such interventions and the investments that are necessary to bring the water and sanitation services to the people are factors that have major impacts on access of rural and urban populations to these basic services. The Phase II work continues to move forward as we incorporate the lessons learned from our past activities and as we assess their sustainability. We have been taking stock of our past accomplishments and their implications on future WASH activities. In the new year, we will focus on how we can involve the private sector in water and sanitation service delivery. We are already exploring partnership opportunities between various organizations within and outside West Africa. Our complex program could not be accomplished without the support of a number of people. I would like to thank all our current and past partners/consultants, recognize the dedication of our staff, and the great support from our team in Miami. The contribution of all is what allowed us to meet our program goals and to serve the needs of our target communities and institutions. You can always keep abreast of any new program development, success stories, current and upcoming events, reports, presentations, etc. on our website which is updated on a regular basis. Our team will welcome any suggestions you might have about content or any other aspects of our website. To all our readers … Happy New Year and enjoy the holiday season! Dr. Lakhdar Boukerrou Chief of Party/Regional Director USAID WA-WASH/FIU Research Associate Professor, Earth and Environment, FIU Co-Director, IWG, Institute for Water and Environment, FIU Affiliate Faculty, African and African Diaspora Studies, FIU

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Date: September 2016 Volume: 15/2016

The institutional, political, legal, and

judicial framework is conducive to

the development of the sector with

the creation by the government of a

platform for all the stakeholders

that provide technical and financial

support to the sector. In this

institutional environment, a poor

coordination of stakeholders’

actions is noticed in addition to a

timid participation of the private

sector in the development of the

The following stakeholders and

structures were met as part of the

process: public sector operators (15);

private sector operators (10); technical

and financial partners (17); non-

governmental organizations (NGOs) and

associations (20); vocational training

centers and universities (04)

The Burkina Faso WASH context

ana lys is y ie lds th e fo l low ing

observations:

There is a political will from the

Government to prioritize the

drinking water and sanitation sector

in its development agenda. This

clearly appears in the « right to

water » that was enshrined in the

constitution, the adoption of a

Human Right-Based Approach

(HRBA) as part of the new WASH

sector programs, the existence of a

Department devoted to water and

sanitation, and the 2020 Vision of

the newly elected Head of State that

aims to achieve the “zero water

chore” goal by the year 2020. The

drinking water supply and sanitation

sector responsibility in the rural

areas has been transferred to

municipalities. However, this

decentralization process failed to

simultaneously transfer the needed

human and financial resources.

sector, thus the need to develop

Public-Private Partnerships as an

opportunity to diversify funding

sources for the sector. An

improvement of the institutional

framework is needed, with

stakeholders’ adherence to the

Unified Intervention Framework

and the formalization of the

consultations at the national and

local levels.

It appears that nderground water

resources are plentiful, with a high

groundwater recharge rate from

rainfall. However, it is clear that

these resources are vulnerable to

the impact of climate change,

pollution, population and urban

growth, etc. This calls for the

reinforcement of the integrated

water resources management

approach with rules that preserve

the resource better, promote good

governance and mainstream

gender issues and participation in

the process.

Though a lot of efforts were made

over the last decade to improve

communities’ access rate to

drinking water supply and

sanitation services, investments in

sanitation remain the lowest of the

sector, with a national rate which

USAID WA-WASH ANALYZES WASH CONTEXT IN BURKINA FASO

The water and sanitation issue is discussed at major meetings such as the National Water

and Sanitation Forum held in February, 2016.

The Government of Burkina Faso and its partners must make a lot of efforts to make the "Zero

water drudgery by 2020" objective a reality country-wide.

USAID WA-WASH commissioned a study on the context analysis and mapping of the drinking water supply, sanitation, and

hygiene, (WASH) stakeholders in three countries, namely: Burkina Faso, Cote d’Ivoire, and Ghana. In Burkina Faso, data were

collected in six localities (Ouagadougou, Koudougou, Dori, Gaoua, Tanghin Dassouri, and Garango) from June 01-20, 2016.

The three studies have been conducted by Oceane Consult International (OCI), a consulting firm from Burkina Faso,

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Date: September 2016 Volume: 15/2016

By helping the beneficiaries of its intervention areas through the construction of sanitation facilities,

USAID WA-WASH wants to improve their living conditions.

barely reaches 10%. If in the case

of drinking water the Millennium

Development Goals (MDG) target

has been achieved in urban areas,

huge disparities still remain in

connection with access rates

between rural and urban areas and

among the country’s regions.

The funding of the sector is still

highly dependent on foreign

assistance. The government

allocates only 1% of its budget to

dr ink ing water supp ly and

sanitation. With a seriously

constrained international context

due to economic, security and

migration problems, climate change,

etc. this foreign assistance will

decrease, thus, the need to develop

endogenous resource mobilization

strategies for the sector.

Even if training opportunities exist,

the WASH sector is faced with a

significant lack of human resources

both in terms of quantity and

quality. The Government with

support from its partners must

develop a policy with strategies to

build human resource capacities to

fill the big gap in the sector.

The development strategy of the

sector must be defined in reference

to the universal right to access

water and sanitation, taking into

account the human right-based

approach. It must particularly

consider the gender dimension and

the concerns of the most vulnerable

populations with regards to poverty

levels in the country in general and

in the rural areas.in particular. In

this case, the “books approach”

must be replaced with the “service

approach”, with a change in the

profile of customers (giving priority to

their rights) who will become

consumers (with responsabilities)

The perspective of the sector

development will be designed starting

from improved knowledge of the sector

and better management of the country’s

water resources. Priority shall be given to

sub-regional cooperation (settling the

issue in the dynamics of water catchment

areas). In the context of climate change,

urbanization, population growth, pollution,

man-made resource degradation, a better

knowledge of water resources will ensure

proper planning to allow better adaptation

to changing contexts.

In view of the Sustainable

Development Goals (SDG), the

challenge of the development of the

WASH sector can be faced only if

policies and programs are framed in

an environment of good governance,

through which transparency,

participation and accountability are

key values that will guarantee an

efficient management of the

mobilized resources. This also

requires the development of policies

to strengthen the capacities of the

human resources of the sector and

local communities.

The avaialbility of funding will

remain the main challenge to the

development of the sector for the

years ahead. In an international

context where traditional partners

from the industrialized world are

fac ing many c r i t ia l i s sues

(unemployment, slow economic

growth, security, and climate

change) one can expect that the

Official Development Assistance

(ODA) will significantly decrease,

thus the need to develop strategies

to mobilize endogenous resources

to fund the sector. This new

strategy must give a priority to the

establishment of public-private

partnership, through which the

private sector will play a catalytic

role in the development of the

sector.

If Burkina Faso wants to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the End of Open

Defecation (EOD) must be a priority at national level.

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Date: September 2016 Volume: 15/2016

USAID WA-WASH ANALYZES THE WASH CONTEXT IN CÔTE D’IVOIRE

From June 05 to 20, 2016, under the guidance of USAID West Africa Water Supply, Sanitation, and Hygiene Program (USAID WA-

WASH), Océane Consult International (OCI) conducted a survey meant to update information and knowledge on the WASH sector.

The political will to support WASH

development is clearly expressed:

as one of the government’s

priorities because water, sanitation

and hygiene have a promenant

place in the National Development

Plan (NDP). But this political will is

Data were collected in the cities of

Abidjan, Yamoussoukro, Bouaflé,

Korhogo and San Pedro with 69

stakeholders identified as follows: public

sector (17); private sector (11);

technical and financial partners (3);

non-governmental organizations and

associations (22); scientific and

university research centers (2);

municipalities (14).

The analysis of the information collected

reveals that:

Even though Cote d’Ivoire wants to

be an emergent nation by 2020,

43% of the population lives under

the poverty line and have no easy

access to basic social services,

including water and sanitation.

Thanks to its geo-climatic situation,

Cote d’Ivoire has plenty of water

resources provided by atmospheric

precipitation, rivers, lagoons that run

through the country mainly in its

central and southern parts. The

country’s underground and surface

resources can help meet the

populations’ current needs and even

those of future generations.

However, this resource faces many

threats mainly man-made pollution

as a result of agricultural and

industrial activities.

hampered by the decentralization

which so far has not been optimal with

local authorities having weak capacity

in terms of financial, technical and

human resources to implement WASH

initiatives. In addition, the dynamics

of the drinking water and sanitation

sector have declined because of its

institutional instability and its lack of

autonomy due to being a department

within strategic ministries such as

environment and building, thus

casting shadows over it.

Efforts made by the government with

support from its development partners

have produced convincing outcomes

as far as access to safe water is

concerned, with a national rate of

87%. However, disparities exist

between rural (84%) and urban areas

(90%). These disparities even exist

between different regions of the

country (water access is more acute in

the northern areas than the southern

ones) and within the same region.

Sanitation and hygiene remain the

lowest investment sub-sectors of the

WASH sector with an access rate

estimated at 13% in rural areas and

30% in urban areas. This makes open

defecation still a widespread practice

in rural areas.

Mr. Jeremy Bambara (blue jacket left), CEO of OCI discussing with CIPREL staff members during

the survey on WASH context analysis conducted in Côte d’Ivoire.

The institutional framework of the WASH stakeholders in Côte d'Ivoire.

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Date: September 2016 Volume: 15/2016

real policy to increase human

r e s o u r c e s c a p a c i t y a n d

employment opportunities in the

sector.

Address the sector’s development

issue in a holistic manner and

create organic and functional links

with the Action Plan of Integrated

Water Resources Management

(PAGIRE, in French) through a

better knowledge of the resource

status and a p lanning of

Efforts made to develop the WASH

sector are affected by the social and

political crisis faced by the country

over the past years. Safe water and

sanitation facilities have been

severe l y degraded, caus ing

important needs in terms or

rehabilitation or construction of new

infrastructure.

The sector benefits from a favorable

institutional framework, with a

commitment from the public sector

stakeholders and civil society

organizations (CSO). However, there

is a dispersion and lack of

coordination among stakeholders in

the sector.

The major challenge for the sector's

development in view of the

Sustainable Development Goals

(SDGs) can only be addressed with

the mobilization of significant

r e s o u r c e s t o f i n a n c e t h e

construction and maintenance of

facilities. In a context of a strong

reliance on external funds and the

va r ious economic p roblems

confronting the donor countries, the

government will have to develop

endogenous strategies to finance the

sector and give a central position to

the private sector.

The other challenge the stakeholders

will have to address is that the

sector development cannot be

achieved without a human resoruces

development to address thecurrent

gaps in terms of quantity and quality.

Future programs will have to focus

on this component by supporting a

interventions, taking into account the

watershed dimension.

Improve the sector governance

through a real presence and

availability of competencies at the

local level, with the simultaneous

transfer of human and financial

resources. The sector governance

should be subject to a better

coordination of activities through

better cooperation and collaboration

among stakeholders.

Reinforce sector financing by giving a

special place to the private sector for

the latter to participate in a win-win

partnership through PPPs, the

framework of which has already been

defined by the government. The

financing of the sector should also

highlight the added value that

innovative projects can bring as part

of actionable research programs.

Civil society organizations must

reinforce the watchdog activities to

better inform on the government's

commitments in favor of the sector.

They should also develop an advocacy

policy with support from the media

towards the sector’s strategic

stakeholders especially the members

of the parliament (MPs), government,

technical and financial partners (TFP),

and the private sector to get their

commitment to the development of

the water and sanitation sector.

Water resource availability in Côte d’Ivoire. (Source: Institutional Framework for Integrated Wa-

ter Resources Management in Côte d’Ivoire, October 2011)

The presence of public-private partnerships is important to develop the WASH sector.

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USAID WA-WASH ANALYZES THE WASH CONTEXT IN GHANA

As part of the Phase II, the USAID West Africa Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WA-WASH) Program commissioned a study with

Oceane Consult International (OCI), a firm based in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. The objective of the study was to have updated

knowledge of the WASH context and stakeholders in Ghana.

foundation on which to implement

WASH initiatives.

As a reference country for its

successful decentralization policy,

Ghana has been able to transfer

the responsibility for water and

sanitation (WATSAN) management

to municipalities to bring basic

social services closer to the users.

The WASH sector in Ghana is

characterized by poor coordination

of stakeholders as witnessed by the

duplication of expenditures and

resources in the planning, design

and implementation of projects and

programs.

Data collection in Ghana covered 5

localities: Bolgatenga, Wa, Tamalé,

Accra, and Koumassi from June 01 to

20, 2016. About 50 organizations and

institutions were contacted and

interviewed including: seven from the

public sector, 11 from the private sector,

2 3 f r o m n o n - g o v e r n m e n t a l

organizations and associations, and 9

technical and financial partners.

The main findings from the Ghana WASH

context analysis are as follows:

Even if the WASH sector is attached

to the Ministry of Water Resources,

W o r k s , a n d H o u s i n g , t h e

Government of Ghana has made of

this sector, a development priority

w i t h t h e W a t e r R e s o ur c e s

Commission (WRC) that plays a key

ins t i tu t i ona l ro le in p o l i c y

development and stakeholders'

coordination.

With a 90% access rate to safe

drinking water against a 15% access

rate to sanitation services at national

level, the country has largely

e x c e e d e d i t s M i l l e n n i u m

Development Goals (MDG) for

drinking water. However, the

sanitation sector attracts the least

funding in WASH investments.

With a strong democracy and

political stability, Ghana has

established strong institutions that

promote good governance, laying the

As a country located in the humid

tropics, Ghana has abundant

groundwater resources with a high

charging rate of the groundwater table

by rainfall. However, it is clear that

these resources are vulnerable to

climate change, pollution, population

growth, and urbanization, etc.

Addressing these and other issues will

require strengthening integrated water

resources management with rules that

preserve the resource better, promote

good governance and address gender

issues.

Access to WASH services remains a

major challenge in a country with more

than 80% of communities still lacking

sanitary facilities. Open defecation is

a major problem in the country. The

CLTS approach adopted at national

level aims to promote behavior change

but results are below expectations.

Almost all of stakeholders interviewed

agree that CLTS is not working in

Ghana.

The government has given a

prominant role to the private sector

which actually participates in urban

and rural water production and

distribution. The government

envisions the future of WASH

financing in terms of endogenous

resource mobilization where PPP

The institutional framework of the Ghana WASH sector.

On a national scale, the Government of Ghana adopted CLTS to promote behavior change

among rural and urban populations.

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Date: September 2016 Volume: 15/2016

Since human resources are important for the development of the sector, USAID WA-WASH

reinforced the capacity of many WASH stakeholders in Ghana.

development will be an important

part.

The WASH sector is faced with

serious human resources shortages

both in quantity and quality even if

training opportunities exist. The

Government with support from its

partners must develop a policy and

strategies to build human resource

capacities in order to fill the gap in

the sector.

The government should play a more

prominent role in sector governance

by conducting an assessment of

existing institutional weaknesses of

the sector and their possible impact

on WASH service delivery within the

sectoral approach. The national

context is characterized by too

many (more than 100) policies,

strategies, guidelines, frameworks,

protocols, creating confusion in the

sector. Therefore, there is a need

to analyze the overall environment

to reduce their number and

harmonize them for greater

efficiency and compliance as well

as their enforcement.

The sector development needs to

be planned as part of a change

program which focuses on building

active groups that can challenge

poor governance and corruption

practices. A thorough knowledge of

the contexts, policies and strategies

is essential to the development of

genuine policies and successful

advocacy strategies focusing more

on commitment. A platform

i n c l u d i n g c i t i z e n s a n d

representatives of civil society,

communities, donors, financial

institutions, private sector, and

government should be created to

review, harmonize and implement

policies and strategies for the WASH

sector with the aim of achieving the

SDGs.

The District Assemblies’ capacities

should be built and their financial

resources increased to allow them to

fully play their roles in WASH service

delivery and exercise their contracting

authority in water governance at the

local level.

There is a need to upgrade

stakeholders' knowledge on country

water resources and promote better

water resources management by

focusing on sub-regional cooperation.

Given the impact of climate change,

urbanization, rapid population growth,

pollution, man-made resource

degradation. A better knowledge of

water resources will ensure proper

planning for better adaptation to a

changing environment.

The government of Ghana wants to

meet the SDG challenge in the water

sector. To achieve this objective,

policies and programs should be

framed in an environment of good

governance where transparency,

participation and accountability are

values that will ensure efficient

management of the resources

mobilized. This also requires the

development of policies to strengthen

human resources capacities in the

sector as a whole and at the district

level in particular.

In an environment where the private

sector plays a key role in sector

financing, the government will have to

create an enabling institutional

framework to promote PPP so to

reduce the sector’s reliance

(vulnerability) on external assistance.

In the Upper West region, USAID WA-WASH activities helped increase drinking water access

rate.

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Date: September 2016 Volume: 15/2016

In its intervention areas, USAID WA-

WASH contributed to improve the living

conditions of many people through the

promotion of Aquatabs (a drinking

water treatment product). In Niger, the

particularity of many villages like

Djigaré, Koutoukalé Koiré-Zéno,

Koutoukalé, Koire-Tégui, Zama Koire

Tégui, and Zama Koire Zeno is that they

are located along the Niger River which

is the drinking water source for these

communities.

To convince people of the usefulness of

Aquatabs and to facilitate its

availability, through ANIMAS-SUTURA,

USAID WA-WASH trained and deployed

community volunteers in these villages.

More than 18 months after the

completion of the program in Niger,

community volunteers are still

conducting Aquatabs promotion and

sale activities within their communities

during community ceremonies such as

weddings, child naming, and women

association activities.

The promotion activities and the

advantages of treating water at home

are encouraging people to use

Aquatabs continuously. In addition to

community radio messages,

community volunteers are also

conducting door-to-door promotions to

sensitize people on the importance of

sanitation, hand-washing, and water

treatment. For many women living in

In its intervention areas, USAID WA-WASH promoted the treatment of water at the point of use, the household level. Many

commnutities in Niger have benefited from the interventions of the Program which have proved to not only be an income

generating activity, the Aquatabs were sold, but also a way to reduce water borne diseases especially for communities along

the Niger River.

THE IMPACT OF AQUATABS PROMOTION IN THE RURAL AREAS IN NIGER

the villages located along the Niger

river, Aquatabs use contributed to

making the members of their

household less prone to water-borne

diseases. In the past, many people

were suffering from diseases like

cholera.

The awareness activities supported by

USAID WA-WASH contributed to a

positive behavior change within the

villages. According to Mr. Kadi Koda

Ismaël, nurse in Koutoukale Koire

Tegui in the municipality of Karma:

“Since villagers have been using

Auqatabs, we have not had any case

of cholera in our health district. This

was not the case before we

introduced Aquatabs.” The same

thing has been reported by a number

of other people including Ms. Aissa

Moukeila from the village of Djigare.

In Niger, the promotion of Aquatabs

activities supported by USAID WA-

WASH during its Phase I allowed the

sale of 5.091 million Aquatabs that

were used to treat over 101 million

liters of drinking water. Residents of the village of Djigaré, after a meeting with the USAID WA-WASH Monitoring and

Evaluation team that conducted a field visit in their village.

Mr. Khaled Yao, WASH Specialist at USAID WA-WASH, discussing Aquatabs promotion and

sales activities with a community volunteer from the village of Djigaré.

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Date: September 2016 Volume: 15/2016

village has also set-up a water and

sanitation management committee.” He

also supports the management

committee to encourage the community

members in maintaining a good sanitation

status in the village. The effort done by all

the community members of Barago has

helped to certify the village as an open

defecation free community one of several

in the region. “Thanks to the USAID WA-

WASH Program, we have less disease in

our community and fewer problems

related to sanitation and hygiene”

reported Chief Barago.

Barago (in the Zinder region) is one of

the villages that benefited from the

Program’s CLTS activities. Through this

approach, USAID WA-WASH intended to

improve the living conditions of people

in its intervention areas. Before the

USAID WA-WASH Program activities

most of the population in the village

used nature for their needs. The chief

of the village remembers this situation

which created many diarrheal diseases

especially among children. “These

diseases had bad consequences on

the life of our community members. In

addition to children, women were very

affected by the problem. When their

children were sick, they were forced to

give up on some income generating

activities to take care of them”, said

the village chief.

Nowadays, things have positively

changed at Barago thanks to the

awareness activities, the construction

and the use of 36 latrines, and the

support of the USAID WA-WASH

Program. The chief of the village

played an important role in the building

of latrines by supporting awareness

activities. According to him: “Since the

USAID WA-WASH Program has started

working with us, our village has

become clean. Nowadays, everyone,

men, women, and children, in the

village use latrine for their needs. The

AT BARAGO (ZINDER REGION IN NIGER), THE VILLAGE CHIEF MADE

THE COMMITMENT TO MAINTAIN THE ODF STATUS OF HIS COMMUNITY

The involvement of the chief was important to get people interests in USAID WA-WASH activi-

ties in the village of Barago.

The rate of access to improved sanitation in Niger was only at 4% in rural areas, against 9% for the national level in 2012.

During its Phase I in this country, the efforts of the USAID WA-WASH Program contributed to increase the sanitation access rate

through the promotion of the Community Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) approach.

Some residents of Barago, around a water point installed by USAID WA-WASH.

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USAID WA-WASH IMPORTANT PAST EVENTS

Mr. Jim Parys, USAID Representative in Burkina Faso giving some equip-ment to Mr. Lassané Zongo, Director of ACOMMES, a private company specialized in craftsmen training and rope pumps manufacturing. Pro-moted by USAID WA-WASH in Phase I, these rope pumps improve ac-cess to water of the beneficiraies.

On April 28, 2016, Dr. Lakhdar Boukerrou (left) gave computers donated

by FIU to some USAID WA-WASH staff members and interns. Through

this donation, the USAID WA-WASH Program wants to encourage the

beneficiaries to master this essential worktool. David Combari (right),

intern at the Procurement Department received a laptop.

With the music band of the students from ESTA in Ouagadougou, Mr.

Virgile Kwizera USAID WA-WASH intern (hat) and Mrs. Marina Koné,

USAID WA-WASH IT Manager (right) enlivened the audience that at-

tended the equipment donation ceremony held on July 15, 2016.

The USAID WA-WASH staff members and interns gather after hours

around a potluck on the last Friday of each month to decompress and

create more team cohesion for the achievement of the Program re-

sults.

The USAID WA-WASH Program organizes training sessions for its staff

members. On April 6, 2016 Mrs. Ida Ouamega, USAID WA-WASH Capa-

city Building Coordinator facilitated a session on adult training tech-

niques for her colleagues.

From September 14 to 25, 2016, the USAID WA-WASH Monitoring and

Evaluation team conducted a field visit in three region of Niger. In addi-

tion to visiting water and sanitation facilities, the team met with local

authorities like the mayor of Bandé (Zinder region).

11

Page 11

Date: September 2016 Volume: 15/2016

UPCOMING EVENTS

EVENTS DATE

All Saints Day, Burkina Faso, Regional Office closed November-1

Veterans Day , United States, Regional Office closed November-11

Program Phase I monitoring visit in the Upper West region, Ghana, November 1-11

The first joint USAID/West Africa and USAIS/SRO Partners Meeting in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso November 16-17

The 2016 World Toilet Day in Koalga, Burkina Faso November 19

AfWA Scientific and Technical Council meeting in Lilongwe, Malawi November 21-25

Thanksgivings, United States November 25

7th forum of the Rural Water Supply Network in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire Nov 29-Dec 2

Proclamation of Independence, Burkina Faso, Regional Office closed December 12

Coordinating Secretariat Meeting, Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire December 12-14

Fête de la Noël, Burkina Faso/Etats-Unis, Regional Office closed December 25

PHOTO TOUR

By applying the innovative water technologies

and gardening techniques promoted by USAID

WA-WASH, this farmer from the village of Tiogo-

Mossi (Centre-Ouest region of Burkina Faso) has

increased his income and is now food secure.

On July 15, 2016, USAID WA-WASH donated

four vehicles, 22 motorcycles, IT and office

equipment to seven of its Phase I implementing

partners. This donation will help to consolidate

the achievements of Phase I activities for the

benefit of the beneficiary populations.

Like this group of interns, USAID WA-WASH

regularly gives opportunity to young professio-

nals and graduate stiudents to have their first

job experience or conduct their research.

After an internship at USAID WA-WASH, Rihana-

tou Zagré (middle) received a certificate and

some gadgets from Dr. Boukerrou (left) and

Miss Samiatou Kabore, Executive Assistant at

USAID WA-WASH (right)

Like this resident of Biro Namuu, the rope

pumps installed by USAID WA-WASH in the Up-

per West region (Ghana) help the beneficiaries

to have access to drinking water for their mul-

tiple needs.

In Burkina Faso, Mr. Alassane Samoura put

created a museum for water. This initiative

needs to be applauded because the precious

liquid is examined from different perspectives

still unknown to people.

01 BP 1241 Ouagadougou 01, 89, Rue Liwaga, Secteur 54, Ouaga 2000, Burkina Faso,

Tel. +226 25-37 53 08, +226 25-37 52 08, +226 77 59 95 64, Fax +226 25 37 52 09

Email : wash-bf@fiu.edu, Site Internet: http://wawash.fiu.edu