Access to Safe Drinking Water: Our Projects in Burkina Faso
Access to safe drinking water is a major challenge in sub-Saharan Africa, where 1 person in 3 lacks access to a safe water source. In Burkina Faso, women and children often walk several kilometers every day to fetch water that is frequently unsafe.
Our association, Les Eaux Vives, has been working since 2010 to build boreholes and water towers in the villages hit hardest.
Building Boreholes
Local companies, working with Burkinabe partners, drill deep boreholes to reach groundwater. Each borehole makes it possible to:
– Provide safe drinking water to 500-1,000 people a day.
– Reduce diseases linked to unsafe water (cholera, diarrhea).
– Free women and children from fetching water, so they can devote time to school or income-generating activities.
Building Water Towers
Water towers make it possible to store and distribute drinking water in the villages. These facilities help:
– Store water during the rainy season for year-round use.
– Prevent shortages during the dry season.
– Reduce conflicts related to access to water.
More than 5,000 people now have access to safe drinking water
The association has funded the drilling of 4 boreholes and the construction of adjoining water towers in Burkina Faso, in the following villages:
– in Doudou, at the site of the Joany Bazemo school, secondary school and training center → 1,200 beneficiaries
– in Kiendsom, at the school site → 900 beneficiaries
– in Bendogo
– in Kiendpolgo → more than 1,300 beneficiaries
The association has also funded the construction of a borehole with a hand pump in Fouroumzougou, near Mogtedo
“Water is life. Thanks to the borehole, the children of Doudou no longer need to fetch water elsewhere. We have also extended the pipes to the dispensary and the maternity ward, allowing the whole population to enjoy safe drinking water and live healthily.”
Pascaline Bazemo – headmistress of the Joany Bazemo school, secondary school and training center