Burkina Faso/Drinking water in Tangaye (Northern Region): USAID rehabilitates 10 boreholes for residents

Burkina Faso Regional Program (USAID/ BFRP) rehabilitated 10 boreholes and two large diameter wells in the commune of Tangaye. The official ceremony of the final rehabilitation took place on Thursday, January 14, 2021 in the presence of Ousseni Sidibé, the secretary general of the mayor's office and representative of the mayor.

The date of January 14, 2021 will remain marked in gold letter in the annals of the commune of Tangaye and more precisely the population of the village of Kouba. For this reason, USAID/BFRP rehabilitated 10 manual boreholes and two large diameter wells. This project was financed by the Burkina Faso Regional Program (USAID/BFRP) to the tune of more than 39 million CFA francs.

Ousseni Sidibé, representing the mayor of the commune of Tangaye, expresses the commune's satisfaction: "There are several spoiled boreholes in the commune of Tangaye; each time a pump is installed, it does not last more than one to two years because of misuse. The rehabilitation of these boreholes is a necessity, a help for humans and animals. We welcome the financial support of our partners (USAID/BFPR) and encourage such initiatives that will enable the population to have access to drinking water."This is why he invited everyone to be "policemen and policewomen" for the maintenance of these public goods. Because he says: "You are the first victims in the event of a breakdown."

Ensuring the durability and maintenance of the structure

To ensure the durability and maintenance of the structure, the village has designated Tigisso Ouédraogo. Its mission is to sensitize the population on the rational use of hand pumps. "I will undertake to clean up the borehole and to raise awareness among the population about its maintenance. To this end, I intend to set up a watch and listening committee to receive opinions for the duration of this precious tool that allows us to drink clean water. A contribution will be requested from each family to be able to repair the pump in case of breakdown" he suggested.

"Water is life".

Bintou Sodré, representative of the women of Kouba, welcomed the donors for the rehabilitation of the boreholes. "I thank USAID/BFPR for coming to fix our spoiled wells in order to facilitate access to drinking water. Before the wells were not covered (closed), there was a lot of waste inside. But to the impossible no one is bound, we had no choice but to consume the water from these wells with all the consequences".

She also indicated that the issue of water is acutely present in the village of Kouba, both for the people and the animals. "Sometimes our animals die for lack of water," she said. The repair of the 10 pumps and two wells, according to Ms. Sodré, is a real relief for the people of Kouba. It is in this logic that she invited the communal and regional authorities to multiply the construction of water fountains in the different localities of Tangaye because, she says, "water is life.

As a reminder, the Office of Transition Initiatives (OTI) is part of the Office of Conflict Prevention and Stabilization of the United States Agency for International Development. Since August 2018, USAID/OTI, through its implementing partner Chemonics International, has been conducting the Burkina Faso Regional Program (BFPR), a three-year, $13 million program to support stability in Burkina Faso.

Since its inception in Burkina Faso, more than 189 OTI/BF activities have been implemented to empower community leaders, mitigate livelihood disruption, and revitalize traditional community mechanisms in the Sahel, North, East, and Center-East regions of Burkina Faso.

Source: lefaso.net