Water Basins for 8,000 Villages using Solar Power

 1. Update from the village of Kamsi, Burkina Faso

The families of the village of Kamsi in Burkina Faso thank you!  Your contribution to the rehabilitation of their rainwater catchment basin has allowed more than 200 women from the co-operative to grow tomatoes, onions, lettuce etc. for their own use and for sale at the local markets. See below photos from the field.

Photo1: A member of women co-operative group watering her onion field (December 2016).

Photo2:  Women producers harvesting their tomatoes (December 2016)

The picture2 captures part of the tomato harvest. It was taken in December 2016 when the tomatoes were almost mature. This was the first tomato harvest. According to the women, they have been able to harvest tomatoes every three days during the month of December, and this will continue for more than a month.

The women of the co-operative group said that, they began planting their crops just after the first rain, as the water was collected in the catchment basin. The basin water helped them to transform the fallow gardens into vegetable plots that now yield in abundance. They are planning to have 2 to 3 vegetable production cycles this year.

Mme Yameogo and other residents have communicated to CBG-WA local team their total satisfaction and appreciation for having a basin in this remote rural area.  They said: “We have now water for our household, and also crops and livestock”. With the basin, the residents said that being able to grow crops, and raise livestock is an amazing business. Part of the tomatoes will be sold at the local market, and the balance will be for their own households.

Photo3: Mme Yameogo in her onion field taking out weeds.

 Think about it for a moment – our teamwork (CBG-WA) has created a source of income and fresh vegetables for at least 200 families and more, thanks to your help! That is an amazing contribution to their health and economic progress.

 You are transforming lives!

  2. Preparation for a new basin in Djomga

CBG-WA team in Burkina Faso met with the local community in the Sahel region to discuss about the construction of the new basin.  Villagers are very enthusiastic about the program. They notified CBG-WA local team about their attempt and effort in the past to catch water, according to them, they have tried several attempts to catch rainwater but their effort was unsuccessful. With the satellite technology, CBG-WA is working hard to help detecting the appropriate site where to build the new basin that will include the design component and retrofication with small scale irrigation water use technology powered by solar energy.

Photo4: CBG-WA team meeting with villagers (December 2016)

 Thank you again until our next update.

CBG Team

Roz Pillay

Laeiticia Kabore

Haoua Zerbo

Khatleen McDonald

Faissal Ouedraogo

Seydou Traore