BURKINA FASO - A school borehole in KERA

The village of Kéra possesses only one school that the villagers rebuild each year. Before constructing a new one, they would prefer to create a supplementary water point next to the school. Because of the dispersion of the inhabitants (the village is in fact made up of many quarters, one far from the other), the students don't have a water point near their school.

The villagers have therefore decided to construct a borehole for the school in order to allow the students to have plenty of quality water. This borehole also constitutes a supplementary water point for the rest of the citizens.

The borehole will be achieved following the normal operations in Burkina Faso (70 to 80 m in depth). It will be equipped with a manual pump, of the India Mark II type, made in Burkina Faso and sold in this area. The pump repairmen are based in the region and will be able to intervene in case of breakdown.

In order to improve the healthiness of the surroundings of the borehole, the outfit of the surface will be built: a protectionary edge, a cleanly sidewalk, a low wall protection, and waiting benches.

The authorization of the water point creation has already been obtained by the villagers close to the regional hydraulic administration.

In order to ensure the functioning and care of the equipment, the project plans to create a water point management committee. The committee will receive detailed sanitation training and will learn practical means to improve the hygiene and health of villagers.

Management tools will be put in place: payment systems for water, collection of funds, management of funds, knowledge of the artisans and businesses competing for maintenance…

The students assist the water point management committee and are charged with maintaining the cleanliness around the borehole. Trained very young to the usage and management of this rare resource, they acquire the essential skills of hygiene and bring them to their family.

Through water, the children also learn the principles of citizenship. They are conscious that they have a role to play in the preservation of this precious resource and that they need to know to share it with those less fortunate.

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