Water storage & vegetable garden in Burkina Faso

Drought makes life difficult in rural Burkina Faso. From October to June there is hardly any rainfall, partly due to climate change. Farming is then (almost) impossible and the lack of safe drinking water causes health problems, especially for vulnerable groups such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. With this project in the villages of Salétenga and Zomkomé, about 20,000 inhabitants got better access to water through the construction of dams. The established ecological kitchen garden benefited 50 women with households of eight people on average.

Storing water from the rainy season

Storage of water that falls during the rainy season is badly needed in the villages of Salétenga and Zomkomé. However, the village of Salétenga had no water supply at all due to its isolated location. Therefore, a dam was built there. The village of Zomkomé did have a water storage facility, but drought caused the dike to break. This had left Zomkomé and surrounding villages with almost no water at all. Thanks to this project, the dam in Zomkomé is repaired.

Ecological vegetable garden

An ecological vegetable garden was set up in Salétenga for 50 women. Half of this group were women who have fled violence elsewhere in the country. The garden is divided into individual vegetable gardens, with training given in various vegetable gardening techniques e.g. cultivation of cabbage, tomatoes and aubergines, the use of organic pesticides, using organic plant protection products and growing trees. A water supply system with solar pump and gardening tools were also provided. All this has led to improvements in the food situation, health and income (crop sales) of the affected families. 

Looking to the future

For both the two dams and the kitchen garden, committees responsible for maintenance and management are set up. Traditional authorities are also represented on these committees. Users pay an annual fee, from which management and maintenance are paid.

This project is implemented by the local organisation FAS and Support Fund Sahel Projects Foundation with support from Wild Geese Foundation. Active Health Foundation supported this project with a financial donation.