Clean water for 11 970 students in Burkina Faso

The Tallé-Bouli school did not have a borehole, pupils and teachers got their water from a well located near the school. The well is neither clean nor protected. Dust and debris carried by the winds poured into it.

One day, the students went to fetch water. Unfortunately an 8 year old student slipped and fell down the well. Alerted by the cries and screams of children, teachers and parents came running. A parent descended into the well using a rope and was able to save the child who was only slightly injured. Luckily, there wasn't much water in the well. Since that day, they have decided to plug this well and seek funding for the construction of a modern borehole.

It is for this reason that they approached Global NEEED Burkina who agreed to drill a modern  borehole in the village. This borehole was drilled to allow the school's 362 students and teachers to have drinking water nearby and available for consumption at all times.

Also the painful chores of water and the diseases of water origins are largely reduced. This action by Global NEEED Burkina allows students to be in good health and regularly attend classes. It is also allowed for villagers who live near the school to also get water from this well.

WendYida is a village located on the borders of the rural Commune of Thiou in the North region of Burkina Faso. Due to its geographical position, WendYida was relegated to oblivion. Both from the public administration and from NGOs and Associations involved in the field of local development.

Indeed, basic social needs including health, education, water, hygiene and sanitation there was no infrastructure. There was no drinking water point, people used water from the few wells in the village. This caused diarrheal diseases.

During a usual tour in the villages of intervention of Global NEEED Burkina, we were intercepted by a large crowd when we crossed the village of WendYida. It was to submit grievances to us. The bearer of the message said in essence that a delegation from the village was to travel to Ouahigouya at the headquarters of Global NEEED to explain the difficulties faced by the village. But as the opportunity presented itself, they seized the opportunity.

The Coordinator, who was part of the mission, offered to visit the village. The conclusion was not at all rosy. The coordinator submitted the grievances to the partner “Friends of Burkina” who, given the urgency, agreed to finance the drilling and the construction of a school with three equipped classrooms.

Global NEEED Burkina has drilled a borehole for the Gosséré school. The village of Gosséré is located in the Department of Tangaye (Northern Region). The lack of water is recurrent in this village. The population submitted a request for drilling to relieve the suffering of the general population and particularly the students and teachers who suffered greatly.
Since the construction of the borehole, difficulties have begun to arise between the population and the students. In fact, the only borehole in the village is located within the school grounds and the women come to get their water there. Unfortunately, these women want to do violence to the students and serve themselves first, which often forces the teaching staff to intervene in favor of the students. This situation is often resented by parents. To solve this problem, it was necessary to organize a general assembly of the village with all the resource persons. At the end of this meeting, a decision was taken prohibiting the use of the borehole by the women of the village during school hours, pending possible funding for the construction of one or two other boreholes for the benefit of the entire village. Since then, the students have been the true masters of the water point. They draw water without difficulty, much to the delight of their teachers.

             I am Yassia OUEDRAOGO, Director of the Public Primary School of Ouattigué,                                              a school benefiting from a borehole drilled by the Global NEEED Burkina Association.

Thank you to Global NEEED Burkina and its partners for relieving us of these painful daily water chores
Indeed, our school was created by the State. Unfortunately, they have not provided for the construction of a drinking water point for students, teachers and the population. Students were forced to walk a long distance to find water that was generally of dubious quality.

This situation regularly leads to health concerns. Also very often, students in search of water arrive and already find women who have also come to draw water for domestic needs. In this case, they have no choice but to wait a long time for their turn to arrive. You have to line up and wait your turn like everyone else. Thus, class hours are lost, school programs are disrupted, results.

By the grace of Global NEEED Burkina and its partners, this is fortunately and for the happiness of all an old memory now. Indeed, with the financial support of its partners Global NEEED Burkina has drilled a borehole for us. Our students and their parents benefit. We thank you again very much and ask you as far as possible to make another borehole for the village..

Message from Azèta, parent of a pupil at Bourbo public                                     

primary school. Department of Oulain Burkina Faso

My name is Azèta Ouédarogo, I am 43 years old. My husband has three wives and I am the first wife. I have three children in school and two more who did not have the chance to go to school. Before the construction of this school by Global NEEED Burkina, the closest school to our village was located about 9 kilometers from our home.

One day, after a meeting of the village women, it was decided to open a school in the village. The first classes were in straw huts. In the school there was no drinking water. The children came to get water from the village wells with all the risks. This is how we went to Ouahigouya to ask for help from Global NEEED Burkina. They came to our village to see first-hand our daily suffering in terms of drinking water and school infrastructure.

Thank goodness Global NEEED has come to build a drinking water point equipped with a human-powered pump and classrooms for the benefit of our village. Since children have been drinking water from the borehole for almost four years, illnesses linked to the consumption of non-potable water have decreased considerably.

Thank you very much to Global NEEED Burkina and its partners for what they are doing for people in remote areas. That’s what they did for us, but it’s still insufficient for our estimated population of nearly 3,000. Anyway, thank you very much for what you are doing.