West Africa Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene Program (USAID WA- WASH) Volume:Volume: 13/201613/2016 Date: March 2016 KOOM LA VIIM NEWS Content LETTER FROM THE EDITOR Presidential program 2 for water and sanita- populations. The country needs it! We tion in Burkina Faso started monitoring the sustainability of our AfWA’s capacity 4 past activities in three countries. Burkina building Faso was first, we visited 30 communities WAY-WASH network 5 and all the program water infrastructure (wells outfitted with rope pumps) in these Monitoring of Phase I 6 communities. We are happy to report that a activities in Burkina big percentage of the water points are Faso functional. The breakdowns are mostly due USAID WA-WASH schol- 8 to the rope breaking after months of usage. arship program A workshop which brought the rope Important past events 11 manufactures, beneficiaries, well and government agency members took place at Upcoming events/Photo 11 Another quarter went by – the first quarter the WA-WASH office in Ouaga to find the tour of our Phase II. As we enter into this new best possible solution to this problem. Next phase which involves some exciting on our list are the communities in Niger activities, we would like to share with you (May 2016) and Ghana (June 2016). Editor ’s note some news about the past quarter. A busy KOOM LA VIIM means time for our team members. Setting up a Institutional capacity building of regional water is life in mooré, a local number of things for the implementation of and pan-African organization is the corner language in Burkina our three Phase II objectives: (1) Coordinate stone of our work for the next two years. We Faso. This electronic and support activities undertaken as part of have started working with the African Water newsletter publishes information generated the USAID/West Africa WASH portfolio; (2) Association and we are in the process of in the course of the Build institutional capacity of West African doing institutional assessments of other implementation of the organizations with a mandate to work in the organizations in the region. USAID WA-WASH Program. WASH sector on a regional scale; and (3) Beyond the topic of Provide monitoring of USAID WA-WASH’s What is in store for us in the second water, this newsletter introduces issues past activities to strengthen sustainability, quarter? Monitoring visits of field sites in related to USAID WA- knowledge management, sharing of best Niger and Ghana, implementing the WASH interventions. practices, and scaling-up. institutional capacity building activities, W i t h t h i s communication channel, WASH context analysis study in Burkina, we aim to share with For those of you who are interested in the Ghana, and Cote d’Ivoire, public-private you useful information Ouaga weather, we had a very hot March partnership assessment in Benin and Cote about our program activities. and April period that was preceded by d’Ivoire, and Coordinating Secretariat several days of Harmatan. Climate change meeting in Cotonou, Benin. is real in this part of the world. The hot Editor: season is getting longer, the temperatures As always, our website is the place to go to if Dr. Lakhdar Boukerrou are getting higher, and the rainy season is you need more information about our getting shorter with more intense rain program http://wawash.fiu.edu Writers: Joseph Wethé, Sabné periods. As we work to address the issue of Koanda, Souleymane Zaré, access to water and sanitation in this part of Until next time, Edouard Tiendrebéogo, the world, we have to keep in mind the Salim Marie Fabiola Sigué, Céline Séogo challenges that climate change poses to Modeste Hien, David Adnan urban and rural areas alike. Nombré Brian Knelleinger, Virgile Kwizéra It is comforting to see the newly elected President of Burkina Faso give, in his Photos: PR/C Department emergency program, top priority to access to water and sanitation for the rural and urban 1 Page 2 Volume: 13/2016 Date: March 2016 USAID WA-WASH PARTICIPATES IN THE LAUNCHING CEREMONY OF THE PRESIDENTIAL PROGRAM FOR WATER AND SANITATION IN BURKINA FASO Thursday, March 31 2016, the Ministry of Water and Sanitation of Burkina Faso organized an official ceremony at Kougsin (in the rural commune of Sourgou, Centre Ouest Region) to launch the Presidential Program for water and sanitation. Chaired by His Excellency, Mr. Roch Marc Christian Kaboré, President of Burkina Faso, the theme of this ceremony was: "make the right to water and sanitation a reality, the government is committed" USAID WA-WASH was represented at the ceremony by Dr. Lakhdar Boukerrou, the Regional Director, and two of his collaborators. USAID WA-WASH also hosted an exhibition stand. "Zero water drudgery by 2020" is the vision of the Burkina Faso’s President’s emergency water Program to ensure sustainable access to drinking water services for the populations. The official ceremony organized to launch the Presidential emergency Program shows government’s commitment to overcome water shortages and the lack of sanitation facilities which affects both the urban and rural populations. During this ceremony, Mr. Niouga Ambroise Ouédraogo, Minister of Water and Sanitation said, "Despite efforts from the government and its partners, despite the many achievements reached as part of the implementation of the National Program for potable water and sanitation services delivery (PN-AEPA in French) over the period His Excellency Mr. Roch Marc Christian Kaboré, the President of Burkina Faso (feet on red 2007- 2015, the Millennium carpet), the Prime Minister (at his right) and other figures during the ceremony at Kougsin. Development Goals (MDG) related to access to safe water and sanitation rate of access to drinking water and According to the Government of have not been reached in Burkina sanitation as of December 31, 2015 Burkina Faso, the achievements still Faso." is 65% and 68% in rural and urban fall short of the expectations of the areas, respectively. At the same date, population. In terms of statistics, the the rate of access to sanitation is estimated at 12% in rural areas and 34% in urban areas. To increase these rates in rural areas, the government plans to construct: 7,500 new boreholes; 306 modern large diameter wells; and 500 simplified drinking water supply systems (AEPS in French) to serve rural municipalities. The government also plans to rehabilitate 2,500 boreholes and 400 AEPS. The urban areas are also included in the government plan, with the extension of the water distribution networks with an additional 4,000 km and the production of an extra drinking water supply estimated at 85,000 m3 per day. The sanitation sector also occupies an Dr. Lakhdar Boukerrou, explaining to some participants the operating system of the rope important place in the implementation pump promoted by USAID WA-WASH in Burkina Faso. 2 Page 3 Volume: 13/2016 Date: March 2016 The monitoring activities planned for Phase II (2016-2017) offer the opportunity to USAID WA-WASH to encourage the beneficiary populations to take care of their water and sanitation facilities and to continue to improve their living conditions. In addition, the collaboration with the government and local stakeholders will help ensure the sustainability of these water and sanitation facilities and also contribute to the success of the Presidential Program for water and sanitation. Souleymane Zaré (Public relations and Communication Officer) and Dr. Lakhdar Boukerrou (right) offering some USAID WA-WASH documents and gadgets to His Céline Séogo (USAID WA-WASH Excellency Mr. Roch Marc Christian Kaboré, President of Burkina Faso (left). Intern) of the Presidential Program. The The construction of a mini water government plans to build 35,297 distribution system which includes latrines in the rural areas; 324 school 64,5 km of pipes and the installation latrines, 41 institutional latrines (in of 40 public taps for the benefit of health centers), 92 community latrines, 22,745 individuals in collaboration and 34,932 household latrines. with other donors. In urban areas, the plan calls for the 3,293,400 tablets sold for the construction of 15,000 household treatment of water at the household latrines, 125 institutional latrines in level, resulting in 65,868,000 liters of schools, 218 institutional latrines in water treated between August 2013 public places, and 1,445 cesspits. and August 2015. The exhibition stand of USAID WA- WASH welcomed many visitors 922 household latrines constructed including President Roch Marc within the target communities. Christian Kaboré, the Prime Minister, 2,303 hand-washing stations the Minister of Water and Sanitation, and the Vice President, and members installed with soap. of the National Assembly. Through the discussions he had with Dr. Lakhdar Boukerrou, President Kaboré learned of the activities and achievements of the USAID WA-WASH Program. He showed a particular interest in the rope pump and the treatment of water at the household level, two of the innovative and low-cost technologies promoted by USAID WA-WASH and used in different regions of Burkina Faso. Over the last four years (2011-2015), USAID WA-WASH contributed to increasing the rate of access to water and sanitation in Burkina Faso. In terms of achievements the Program accomplished the following: 197 family water points installed and 12 rehabilitated boreholes for Dr. Lakhdar Boukerrou discussing the USAID WA-WASH activities in Burkina Faso with two the benefit of 18,560 individuals. members of parliament. 3 Page 4 Volume: 13/2016 Date: March 2016 THE AFRICAN WATER ASSOCIATION : THE FIRST BENEFICIARY OF USAID WA-WASH PHASE II CAPACITY BUILDING ACTIVITIES From March 14-17, 2016, the Regional Office of USAID WA-WASH welcomed Mr. Valentin Yao, Coordinator of the African Young Professionals Program for water and sanitation at the African Water Association (AfWA).