Burkina Faso

“Before WaterAid and AMUS rehabilitatedour well we were afraid to collect thewater from the pond because of thecrocodiles. They would come when thewater got a bit higher. I was scared. Whenthe pond dried up we would go to anotherone further on. But it was a lot steeperwhich made it harder to get the water.

Before we had the safe water we hadlots of illness – especially stomachproblems in the village. When thechildren were ill we went to the clinic. Itis very expensive. Often my childrencouldn’t go to school because they wereill. Since the well was rehabilitated wehaven’t had these illnesses.

We women were part of the processof getting safe water. We helped to makethe decisions, collected sand and graveland prepared food for those who weredigging.We now have a women’s groupwhere we make soap to sell and we alsogrow peanuts to sell. We use the moneyto pay off the loans we took to start ourbusinesses. And we put some moneyinto a kitty for the difficult times like forfunerals and weddings.”

“Before we had the pump in the village itwas a luxury even to have water to quenchour thirst. A lack of water can lead toconflict among people. But since we havehad the well here we are so much happier.The women are able to get on with lots ofother activities. Some of us make milletbeer and also bean fritters to sell. All thismakes money for the women.

This means we can look after ourchildren better, we can give them betterfood, or buy them things like shoes whichwe couldn’t do before. The women chooseto look after their children better ratherthan spending the money on themselves.That is the important thing.

All the children go to school. Before thechildren had to go to get water in themorning which kept them away fromschool. When the pond dried up even thelittle ones walked five kilometres andback again twice a day to get water. Thechildren used to suffer. But noweverything is better and they are muchhealthier. They don’t get diarrhoea anymore. Everything has changed.”

£14 pays for training and

equipment for one hygiene

education volunteer

£250 provides the start-up costs

for a local soap-making business for

five people

£1000 pays for the rehabilitation

of one borehole serving 300 people

£1200 pays for the construction

of a school latrine block serving 360

pupils and teachers

£5000 pays for one borehole

serving 300 people

Sawadogo Talato, 45, Vice President of

Yaké village water committee.

Achievements to date

> Helped over 32,000 people

gain access to clean water

> Started a credit scheme for

sanitation and soap-making

enterprises with women

> Initiated and supported the

establishment of the water

and sanitation NGO network

and the water and sanitation

journalists network

> Awarded in 2004 for its support

to deprived communities by the

Burkina Faso Government

Laurentine Yaméogo from Bayandi

Palogo at the new handpump (and on

the front cover with the soap she sells).

Country informationCountry information

Burkina Faso

Burkina Faso is a small, landlocked and densely populated country in West Africa. It is one of thepoorest in the world, ranked 175 out of 177 countries by the United Nations, where one in fivechildren die before their fifth birthday. There are few schools, health facilities and public services –especially in rural areas. About 51% of the population has access to clean water and fewer still – only 12% – have access to sanitation.

Formerly called Upper Volta it regained its independence from France in 1960 and was renamed in1984. It has since spent many of its post-independence years under military rule and has enduredmany military coups.

Reducing rainfall levels and recurring droughts have meant more poor rural people, whotraditionally rely on farming for a living, are moving to towns and cities looking for work. As a resultunplanned slum and squatter settlements without services like water and sanitation are growing.

WaterAid/Suzanne Porter




For further information about WaterAid:

WaterAid, 47-49 Durham Street, London, SE11 5JD

www.wateraid.org

T: 020 7793 4500 F: 020 7793 4545 E: [email protected]

Charity registration number 288701 January 2006

WaterAid – water for lifeThe UK’s only major charity dedicated exclusively tothe provision of safe domestic water, sanitation andhygiene education to the world’s poorest people.

A strategy running from 2006 to 2011 setsout the plans and activities for WaterAid inBurkina Faso. During this time WaterAid willcontinue to focus on water, sanitation andhygiene education, working with localpartners on community managed projects.

The key aims are to:

• Help 50,000 people gain access to water,and 50,000 people gain access tosanitation every year by 2011

• Support local partner organisations inraising their own funds, while keeping astrong advisory role on how these funds arespent to ensure a further 25,000 peoplegain access to water, and 25,000 peoplegain access to sanitation every year by 2011

As with all poor countries, financing waterand sanitation is a key issue. Currently loansand grants to the state from external donorsaccount for 88.5% of the total investment inwater and sanitation. But even this is 14billion CFAF short of the 32 billion CFAFrequired to reach the MillenniumDevelopment Goals (MDGs), targets agreedby all governments to halve the proportion of people without access to water andsanitation between 1990 and 2015. WaterAid will increase its advocacy work tolobby for greater investment in theseessential services and to ensure that themoney available is spent in the mostappropriate ways.

In Burkina Faso responsibility for waterand sanitation services is being transferredfrom central government to localgovernments. While this is a positive change,as it means decision making and projectwork will be closer to the communities, it isbeing implemented very slowly and the localauthorities currently don’t have theexpertise or the budgets to carry out thework expected of them.

WaterAid therefore has plans to work with27 local governments to support them in theirnew roles and help to build their capacity.Together, with WaterAid’s partners, they willwork towards reaching the MDGs in eachtarget area. WaterAid will specifically help tomap the location and condition of waterfacilities in the areas, to ensure all future workreaches people in an equitable way. Thismapping work will also enable WaterAid toplan where it can rehabilitate broken waterpoints and where new ones are needed,ensuring it reaches the most people in themost cost effective way.

WaterAid will also help develop the skills of its local partner organisations, sothat they can help bring communities’voices to decision makers and serviceproviders. Ensuring that the needs of the

poorest and most vulnerable are prioritisedin future work is vitally important. Currentlywomen, the elderly and disabled areoverlooked by decision making and this tooneeds to change.

A big part of this work will be raisingpeople’s awareness of the necessity for, andtheir rights to, water and sanitation,alongside demonstrating the importance ofwater and sanitation in achieving the overallMDG of poverty reduction and the targets onhealth and education. WaterAid plans tocarry out awareness-raising work incollaboration with the water and sanitationNGO network and the journalists network.This is particularly pertinent to hygiene andsanitation which are often overlookedcompared to water. However, communitieswho understand that the lack of sanitationand hygiene fuels disease and have thenecessary training and support readily buildlatrines themselves.

In addition to the ‘credit for sanitation’scheme (where people are given a small loanto help them pay for the materials needed tobuild latrines) WaterAid and UNICEF willcontinue their successful sanitation andhygiene work in schools. Children are keyadvocates for good hygiene, quickly takingon board new lessons and changing habitsthat have been ingrained through years ofpractice in their parents.

Sanitation is a key focus in urban areaswhere rapid urbanisation is resulting inunplanned settlements without facilities.Sanitation is not being prioritised bydecision makers and service providerscurrently offer inadequate technologychoices which means that the poorest can’tafford to buy latrines. WaterAid hopes todevelop its partnership with the state ownedcompany ONEA, responsible for water andsanitation, to help tackle this vast problem,focusing on sanitation and hygiene issues.One specific aim is to persuade ONEA toinclude low cost latrines in its strategy ratherthan only allowing more expensiveventilated improved pit latrines, which themajority of poor people cannot afford.WaterAid will also closely monitor theproposed privatisation of ONEA (of which thedetails are not yet known) to lobby for theneeds of the country’s poor people.

Finally, all future projects in Burkina Fasowill look at the issue of water resourcemanagement. In a country with dramaticallyreducing rainfall levels, falling water tablesand increasing water needs this is cruciallyimportant to ensure that there is adequatewater for all, and that its use is managed in asustainable way.

Country information: Burkina Faso Country information: Burkina Faso

WaterAid in Burkina Faso

WaterAid quickly developed a goodreputation in the country – demonstrated in2004 when the Government of Burkina Fasogave WaterAid two awards for its support todeprived communities. The Minister forEconomy stated, “The various achievementshave contributed to reducing thepopulation’s burden in terms of water supply,hygiene and sanitation issues.”

WaterAid and its partners carry out a rangeof projects. For example in Ramongo,WaterAid’s partner the Association les MainsUnies du Sahel (AMUS) has been carrying outhygiene education and building and

rehabilitating boreholes while WaterAid’spartner DAKUPA has been training masonsand hygiene education volunteers to help witha latrine building and hygiene programme. In the Koulpeologo province the project isdeveloping the WASH concept (water,sanitation and hygiene for all) in schools. Thisinvolves training teachers and encouragingthe creation of school health clubs.

Soap production is an innovative scheme, where women make and sell soap.This is enabling women to make moneywhile increasing hand washing – a simplepractice that can reduce diarrhoeal diseasesby over 40%. WaterAid’s partners investfunds for the initial set-up costs, which thewomen refund once the soap is producedand sold.

COTE D’IVOIRE

Burkina Faso

Area: 274,000 km2

Capital: Ouagadougou

Other main cities: Bobo-Dioulasso, Ouahigouya, Koudougou, Banfora

Population 12.4 m

Infant mortality 207/1000

Life expectancy 47 years

Water supply coverage 51%Sanitation coverage 12%

Below poverty line 45.2%

Human development index 175

Adult literacy 12%

Sources: World Development Report 2005 and the

Human Development Report 2005.

NB. Official statistics tend to understate theextent of water and sanitation problems,sometimes by a large factor. There are notsufficient resources available for accuratemonitoring of either population or coverage.Varying definitions of water and sanitationcoverage are used and national figures masklarge regional differences in coverage.

Burkina Faso is one of WaterAid’s newest countryprogrammes and the second in Francophone West Africa.Following the success of a pilot project that began in 2001WaterAid began developing partnerships andprogrammes in the rural Garango, Ramongo and Bokindistricts. In 2003 a Country Representative wasappointed and work extended to include Bogodogo andSigh-Noghin districts in the capital, Ouagadougou. WaterAid now works with seven partner organisationshelping some of the poorest people gain access to safewater, sanitation and good hygiene and is increasing itspolicy work to influence others to do the same.

Plans: 2006-2011

Project work


“Before we had to go to the toilet in thebushes. The pigs would always tramplethe dirt back into the village and ourhomes. When women had diarrhoea theycouldn’t get far from home and had to goto the toilet in front of everyone else. Itwas embarrassing. Having latrines hasnot only helped our health, it has restoredour dignity and pride.”


Marie Edith Kinda from

Seguedin village.

Key to states where WaterAid has plans to work or is currently working1 Lébara 2 Kénédougou 3 Comoé 4 Houet 5 Bougouriba 6 Tuy 7 Banwa 8 Mouhoun 9 Balé 10 Kossi 11 Sanguie 12 Sissili 13 Ziro 14 Boulkiemdé 15 Passoré 16 Bam 17 Loroum 18 Soum 19 Sanmatenga 20 Ganaourgou 21 Namentenga 22 Oudalan 23 Séno 24 Gnagna 25 Yagha 26 Kourritenga 27 Boulgou28 Koulpélogo

A strategy running from 2005 to 2010 setsout the plans and activities for WaterAid inBurkina Faso. During this time WaterAid willcontinue to focus on water, sanitation andhygiene education, working with localpartners on community managed projects.

The key aims are to:

• Help 50,000 people gain access to water,and 50,000 people gain access tosanitation every year by 2011

• Support local partner organisations inraising their own funds, while keeping astrong advisory role on how these funds arespent to ensure a further 25,000 peoplegain access to water, and 25,000 peoplegain access to sanitation every year by 2011

As with all poor countries, financing waterand sanitation is a key issue. Currently loansand grants to the state from external donorsaccount for 88.5% of the total investment inwater and sanitation. But even this is 14billion CFAF short of the 32 billion CFAFrequired to reach the MillenniumDevelopment Goals (MDGs), targets agreedby all governments to halve the proportion of people without access to water andsanitation between 1990 and 2015. WaterAid will increase its advocacy work tolobby for greater investment in theseessential services and to ensure that themoney available is spent in the mostappropriate ways.

In Burkina Faso responsibility for waterand sanitation services is being transferredfrom central government to localgovernments. While this is a positive change,as it means decision making and projectwork will be closer to the communities, it isbeing implemented very slowly and the localauthorities currently don’t have theexpertise or the budgets to carry out thework expected of them.

WaterAid therefore has plans to work with27 local governments to support them in theirnew roles and help to build their capacity.Together, with WaterAid’s partners, they willwork towards reaching the MDGs in eachtarget area. WaterAid will specifically help tomap the location and condition of waterfacilities in the areas, to ensure all future workreaches people in an equitable way. Thismapping work will also enable WaterAid toplan where it can rehabilitate broken waterpoints and where new ones are needed,ensuring it reaches the most people in themost cost effective way.

WaterAid will also help develop the skills of its local partner organisations, sothat they can help bring communities’voices to decision makers and serviceproviders. Ensuring that the needs of the

poorest and most vulnerable are prioritisedin future work is vitally important. Currentlywomen, the elderly and disabled areoverlooked by decision making and this tooneeds to change.

A big part of this work will be raisingpeople’s awareness of the necessity for, andtheir rights to, water and sanitation,alongside demonstrating the importance ofwater and sanitation in achieving the overallMDG of poverty reduction and the targets onhealth and education. WaterAid plans tocarry out awareness-raising work incollaboration with the water and sanitationNGO network and the journalists network.This is particularly pertinent to hygiene andsanitation which are often overlookedcompared to water. However, communitieswho understand that the lack of sanitationand hygiene fuels disease and have thenecessary training and support readily buildlatrines themselves.

In addition to the ‘credit for sanitation’scheme (where people are given a small loanto help them pay for the materials needed tobuild latrines) WaterAid and UNICEF willcontinue their successful sanitation andhygiene work in schools. Children are keyadvocates for good hygiene, quickly takingon board new lessons and changing habitsthat have been ingrained through years ofpractice in their parents.

Sanitation is a key focus in urban areaswhere rapid urbanisation is resulting inunplanned settlements without facilities.Sanitation is not being prioritised bydecision makers and service providerscurrently offer inadequate technologychoices which means that the poorest can’tafford to buy latrines. WaterAid hopes todevelop its partnership with the state ownedcompany ONEA, responsible for water andsanitation, to help tackle this vast problem,focusing on sanitation and hygiene issues.One specific aim is to persuade ONEA toinclude low cost latrines in its strategy ratherthan only allowing more expensiveventilated improved pit latrines, which themajority of poor people cannot afford.WaterAid will also closely monitor theproposed privatisation of ONEA (of which thedetails are not yet known) to lobby for theneeds of the country’s poor people.

Finally, all future projects in Burkina Fasowill look at the issue of water resourcemanagement. In a country with dramaticallyreducing rainfall levels, falling water tablesand increasing water needs this is cruciallyimportant to ensure that there is adequatewater for all, and that its use is managed in asustainable way.

Country information: Burkina Faso Country information: Burkina Faso

WaterAid in Burkina Faso

WaterAid quickly developed a goodreputation in the country – demonstrated in2004 when the Government of Burkina Fasogave WaterAid two awards for its support todeprived communities. The Minister forEconomy stated, “The various achievementshave contributed to reducing thepopulation’s burden in terms of water supply,hygiene and sanitation issues.”

WaterAid and its partners carry out a rangeof projects. For example in Ramongo,WaterAid’s partner the Association les MainsUnies du Sahel (AMUS) has been carrying outhygiene education and building and

rehabilitating boreholes while WaterAid’spartner DAKUPA has been training masonsand hygiene education volunteers to help witha latrine building and hygiene programme. In the Koulpeologo province the project isdeveloping the WASH concept (water,sanitation and hygiene for all) in schools. Thisinvolves training teachers and encouragingthe creation of school health clubs.

Soap production is an innovative scheme, where women make and sell soap.This is enabling women to make moneywhile increasing hand washing – a simplepractice that can reduce diarrhoeal diseasesby over 40%. WaterAid’s partners investfunds for the initial set-up costs, which thewomen refund once the soap is producedand sold.

COTE D’IVOIRE

Burkina Faso

Area: 274,000 km2

Capital: Ouagadougou

Other main cities: Bobo-Dioulasso, Ouahigouya, Koudougou, Banfora

Population 12.4 m

Infant mortality 207/1000

Life expectancy 47 years

Water supply coverage 51%Sanitation coverage 12%

Below poverty line 45.2%

Human development index 175

Adult literacy 12%

Sources: World Development Report 2005 and the

Human Development Report 2005.

NB. Official statistics tend to understate theextent of water and sanitation problems,sometimes by a large factor. There are notsufficient resources available for accuratemonitoring of either population or coverage.Varying definitions of water and sanitationcoverage are used and national figures masklarge regional differences in coverage.

Burkina Faso is one of WaterAid’s newest countryprogrammes and the second in Francophone West Africa.Following the success of a pilot project that began in 2001WaterAid began developing partnerships andprogrammes in the rural Garango, Ramongo and Bokindistricts. In 2003 a Country Representative wasappointed and work extended to include Bogodogo andSigh-Noghin districts in the capital, Ouagadougou. WaterAid now works with seven partner organisationshelping some of the poorest people gain access to safewater, sanitation and good hygiene and is increasing itspolicy work to influence others to do the same.

Plans: 2006-2011

Project work


“Before we had to go to the toilet in thebushes. The pigs would always tramplethe dirt back into the village and ourhomes. When women had diarrhoea theycouldn’t get far from home and had to goto the toilet in front of everyone else. Itwas embarrassing. Having latrines hasnot only helped our health, it has restoredour dignity and pride.”


Marie Edith Kinda from

Seguedin village.

Key to states where WaterAid has plans to work or is currently working1 Lébara 2 Kénédougou 3 Comoé 4 Houet 5 Bougouriba 6 Tuy 7 Banwa 8 Mouhoun 9 Balé 10 Kossi 11 Sanguie 12 Sissili 13 Ziro 14 Boulkiemdé 15 Passoré 16 Bam 17 Loroum 18 Soum 19 Sanmatenga 20 Ganaourgou 21 Namentenga 22 Oudalan 23 Séno 24 Gnagna 25 Yagha 26 Kourritenga 27 Boulgou28 Koulpélogo

“Before WaterAid and AMUS rehabilitatedour well we were afraid to collect thewater from the pond because of thecrocodiles. They would come when thewater got a bit higher. I was scared. Whenthe pond dried up we would go to anotherone further on. But it was a lot steeperwhich made it harder to get the water.

Before we had the safe water we hadlots of illness – especially stomachproblems in the village. When thechildren were ill we went to the clinic. Itis very expensive. Often my childrencouldn’t go to school because they wereill. Since the well was rehabilitated wehaven’t had these illnesses.

We women were part of the processof getting safe water. We helped to makethe decisions, collected sand and graveland prepared food for those who weredigging. We now have a women’s groupwhere we make soap to sell and we alsogrow peanuts to sell. We use the moneyto pay off the loans we took to start ourbusinesses. And we put some moneyinto a kitty for the difficult times like forfunerals and weddings.”

“Before we had the pump in the village itwas a luxury even to have water to quenchour thirst. A lack of water can lead toconflict among people. But since we havehad the well here we are so much happier.The women are able to get on with lots ofother activities. Some of us make milletbeer and also bean fritters to sell. All thismakes money for the women.

This means we can look after ourchildren better, we can give them betterfood, or buy them things like shoes whichwe couldn’t do before. The women chooseto look after their children better ratherthan spending the money on themselves.That is the important thing.

All the children go to school. Before thechildren had to go to get water in themorning which kept them away fromschool. When the pond dried up even thelittle ones walked five kilometres andback again twice a day to get water. Thechildren used to suffer. But noweverything is better and they are muchhealthier. They don’t get diarrhoea anymore. Everything has changed.”

£14 pays for training and

equipment for one hygiene

education volunteer

£250 provides the start-up costs

for a local soap-making business for

five people

£1000 pays for the rehabilitation

of one borehole serving 300 people

£1200 pays for the construction

of a school latrine block serving 360

pupils and teachers

£5000 pays for one borehole

serving 300 people

Sawadogo Talato, 45, Vice President of

Yaké village water committee.

Achievements to date

> Helped over 32,000 people

gain access to clean water

> Started a credit scheme for

sanitation and soap-making

enterprises with women

> Initiated and supported the

establishment of the water

and sanitation NGO network

and the water and sanitation

journalists network

> Awarded in 2004 for its support

to deprived communities by the

Burkina Faso Government

Laurentine Yaméogo from Bayandi

Palogo at the new handpump (and on

the front cover with the soap she sells).

Country informationCountry information

Burkina Faso

Burkina Faso is a small, landlocked and densely populated country in West Africa. It is one of thepoorest in the world, ranked 175 out of 177 countries by the United Nations, where one in fivechildren die before their fifth birthday. There are few schools, health facilities and public services –especially in rural areas. About 51% of the population has access to clean water and fewer still – only 12% – have access to sanitation.

Formerly called Upper Volta it regained its independence from France in 1960 and was renamed in1984. It has since spent many of its post-independence years under military rule and has enduredmany military coups.

Reducing rainfall levels and recurring droughts have meant more poor rural people, whotraditionally rely on farming for a living, are moving to towns and cities looking for work. As a resultunplanned slum and squatter settlements without services like water and sanitation are growing.





For further information about WaterAid:

WaterAid, 47-49 Durham Street, London, SE11 5JD

www.wateraid.org

T: 020 7793 4500 F: 020 7793 4545 E: [email protected]

Charity registration number 288701 January 2006

WaterAid – water for lifeThe UK’s only major charity dedicated exclusively tothe provision of safe domestic water, sanitation andhygiene education to the world’s poorest people.

Health & Medicine

Burkina Faso