Without question, this project is NOT JUST about digging a borehole to give the villagers access to clean drinking water. While this is already a huge part of what we are doing! What we would like to accomplish in one year to three years is to build momentum for SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT.
So to start the project, fundamentally we need water. Then when the drilling is complete, the youth of the Protestant parish in Bouassa, that are deeply involved in this project, will build a fence around the grounds of the church and plant fruit trees. They will also plant a few tomato plants, carrots and some cabbage. These vegetables and later some fruit will be a priority for the village children, who are abandoned by their parents who are too poor to care for them.
Once this is completed, we will build latrines and showers. And children will have a proper place to wash and they will be accompanied by local young people, to teach them to brush their teeth and take showers properly. A toothbrush and a some soap will be distributed.
Of course, soap is not enough, meals will be served each day, and just like in the Parish, there is a “mom” who is a retired nurse / midwife who will deal with the children’s minor cuts and scrapes.
If we continue to look further in time, what we hope is to set up a chicken coop, to be able to raise chickens, a very popular meal in Burkina Faso, and eggs. All this will serve to feed the children, but the surplus will be sold on the local market or the capital, Ouagadougou, which is a few kilometers away. The money raised will help maintain the drilling itself and the garden. Then hopefully (!) We will develop other profitable activities to provide work for older children who have left school for too long to return. The younger children will also be helped. We found an organization that supports these efforts in the field of education using small learning tablets! We’ll talk about that one of these days.
As for latrines and showers, they will be connected to a local sewage system using plants built by Recycl’eau, our partner. The waste water will be treated organically and reused to irrigate trees and vegetables! Nothing is lost, especially when it comes to water!!
All this will be funded by donations, but also through grants that we are requesting from some organizations here in France, and later by partnering with a company that we are also creating.
Well, the dream is big you may say, but it’s worth carrying. Because of the children, because the village. And the more we are, the easier it will become a reality!
We believe people, not water, can change everything! When you sponsor Well Drilling Project in Burkina Faso, Africa you’ll unlock the potential of an entire community!