IICD supported project: Consolidation of actions promoting water hygiene and sanitation in Passoré province through the use of NICT tools

Countries: Burkina Faso [BF]
Sectors: agriculture livelihood

Summary

This project, scheduled to last one year, will engage in a variety of activities aimed at increased provision of training and information to promote water hygiene and sanitation through the use of NICT. The project will cover 20 villages. The beneficiaries will be agricultural producers, pupils and civil servants. During this phase, the project will take an approach that is much more focused on the active involvement of beneficiaries in the transfer process. Special emphasis will be given to the visibility of the experiences to be published.

Update

Updated: 2007-03-08

The beneficiary groups appreciated the practical and theoretical knowledge of the supervisory personnel and were able to grasp the importance of NICT in agricultural development.Before the introduction of NICT in the information sessions, the beneficiaries – most of whom are illiterate – had difficulty in understanding the messages. Since the staff began to include NICT in the sessions, however, there has been a clear behavioural improvement in the project environment, as shown by a survey.

In schools, an interview with beneficiaries showed that the messages were better understood, thanks to the use of skits and a PowerPoint presentation.

Introduction

The main goal of this project is to fight poverty by reducing the digital divide. More specifically, it aims to help consolidate the achievements of the project financed by the IICD in Bokin territorial department.

In 2005, with financial and technical support from the IICD, Sahel Solidarité launched a project to develop the water and sanitation sector in rural areas through the use of NICT. The principal aim of that project was to set up an information and communication system on water hygiene and sanitation for the beneficiary groups.

Objectives

(i) To build the skills of supervisory personnel so as to increase the professionalism of support activities;

(ii) To train people in the project area and nearby territorial departments in office technology and multimedia tools;

(iii) To increase logistical capacity with a view to providing more services;

(iv) To develop educational initiatives in schools through the use of NICT;

(v) To give a higher profile both nationally and internationally to the achievements of the first phase of the project and thus to promote dialogue with other stakeholders working in the same sector;

(vi) To improve the working conditions of the NICT staff within the organisation.

Planned outputs

Expected outcomes and impacts:

(i) Availability of suitable supervisory personnel who are better equipped to address rural development issues thanks to NICT;

(ii) Access of beneficiaries to NICT tools to promote good communication with their environment;

(iii) Improvement in school pupils' behaviour regarding water hygiene and sanitation through the use of NICT tools;

(iv) Replication of the project in other areas;

(v) Professionalisation of the approach to community mobilisation through the use of NICT.

Development Impacts

• Reduction of the digital divide
• Giving people a new perception of what NICT can do
• Improved supervision through the production of monitoring tools
• Availability of local resource persons able to handle NICT tools and awareness-raising activities even at the end of the project
• Reduction of training costs for beneficiaries through the use of NICT tools
• Reduction of poverty through the use of NICT tools
• Greater understanding and appreciation of women's contribution to the work of hygienists

Management and organisation

Project leader Paulin Ouédraogo is an enthusiastic fan of new technologies. An adept self-learner, in just a few years he has acquired in-depth knowledge of a good many digital applications:

• editing techniques (video, PowerPoint with images and illustrations);
• training with NICT;
• production of awareness-raising and community mobilisation tools using NICT and certain software programs;
• computer maintenance.

He is convinced that the new technologies can increase the impact and effectiveness of the work of the NGO Sahel Solidarité, while at the same time offering individual opportunities for people in the target groups. He thinks that Sahel Solidarité's use of ICT can be made sustainable through the development of know-how and experience that can in turn be used for income-generating activities such as service provision, training courses and multimedia products.

 

Results

• Supervisory personnel (6) trained in the use of multimedia tools
• Supervisory personnel acquired know-how regarding community mobilisation
• Access to information from within the project area through the use of NICT tools
• 90% of beneficiaries trained have basic knowledge of how to use a computer
• Behavioural change regarding hygiene, water and sanitation through the use of NICT tools

Unexpected outcomes:

• All local branches of the central government call on the services of the project to keyboard their documents.
• Primary school pupils have an increasingly good understanding of the messages disseminated through the use of NICT

Lessons learned

• With regard to knowledge transfer to the grassroots, the use of these tools in awareness-raising activities is the most appropriate method
• With regard to behavioural change, the use of NICT tools makes it easier to mobilise the community
• With regard to the service provision capability of the project and the use of NICT tools, the target groups were satisfied
• With regard to resources, the use of NICT enabled the project to reach a large number of people with few resources
• Reduction of the digital divide in rural areas contributes to rural development

Project Owner : Sahel Solidarité
Burkina Faso
E-mail: saso@fasonet.bf
Tel.: (226) 35 35 45
Fax: (226) 35 33 28
www.fasonet.bf/sahelsolidarite

Project Partners : Yam-Pukri provides regular support in the form of advice. IICD’s training partner Sulga Concept covered the cost of most of the training.

Contact Organisation :