From the Swiss Blue Community Morija: Burkina Faso: Clean water and hygiene change lives in Sakoula.
On the outskirts of Ouagadougou in Burkina Faso, Morija teams have built a self-sufficient water station, a major milestone in the water, sanitation and hygiene project.
Thanks to the rehabilitation of an existing borehole, coupled with a solar-powered polytank, nearly 800 people now have direct, safe and reliable access to drinking water. This is real progress and shows how simple, sustainable solutions can transform daily life in peri-urban areas.
In several outlying districts, our teams have also implemented an extensive programme to improve living conditions: rehabilitating boreholes, building family and school latrines, installing hand-washing facilities, etc. All these projects are carried out in close cooperation with the local population, who are actively involved in the work. This involvement promotes ownership of the infrastructure and strengthens community solidarity.
But Morija’s work does not stop at infrastructure. Large-scale awareness-raising campaigns have been launched on key issues such as healthy living, nutrition, entrepreneurship, menstrual hygiene and gender equality. Through educational and participatory sessions, our approach aims to bring about lasting changes in behaviour, while respecting human dignity, fundamental rights and social cohesion.
Kaba Moussa, a committed local actor in Sakoula, says:
“In Sakoula, women and children used to have to walk more than 500 metres to fetch water in an isolated and unsafe area. Today, thanks to Morija, an old borehole in the heart of the district has been rehabilitated.
Water is now available at all times, in complete safety.
But the biggest change has been in attitudes: families are now thinking about building latrines in their homes. Even at the market, one resident has voluntarily given up a piece of land to build a public latrine. The population has become aware of the importance of hygiene.
All this is possible thanks to Morija’s support. The training, supervision and presence of the facilitators and masons in the field make all the difference. They are respected and listened to, and their efforts have an impact on the whole neighbourhood.”
