Reinforcement of Sensitisation Impact on Water Sanitation through the Use of Information and Communication Technology - Burkina Faso

This project helps to inform inhabitants of 20 remote villages in Burkina Faso about the hygienic use of water. Communication capacities of the local project staff Sahel Solidarité (SaSo) are strengthened. SaSo is equipped with an Internet connection and four computers powered by solar energy, five digital cameras, and a projector. Two villagers per village are trained to take pictures of good and bad hygiene practices. During sensitsation sessions at night for the whole village, participants learn to improve their hygiene practices by watching and discussing projected hygiene images taken in their own context, presented by people from their own village, explained in their own language.

Bokin is a region where there is a low level of agricultural production and where farmers have low incomes. The population is regularly confronted with environmental sanitary or hygienic crises. Most villagers (and women in particular) have limited access to information about the use of water sites in the villages. They also do not have access to information about hygiene and health in general. There is a huge need for a marketing strategy to inform people about drinking water and hygiene.

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Despite a couple of technical glitches at the outset, this project is firmly on track and is considered a great success by both the project team and the thousands of villagers it is reaching.

Facilitators of Sahel Solidarité taught two hygienists in 20 villages (a man and a woman in each village) to take pictures and make presentations using multimedia tools. In addition, 245 people received training on basic computer skills. This training involved teachers, students, civil servants and farmers. Following information sessions with the population, those interested registered for the training.

A total of 84 sensitisation sessions took place between March 2006 and December 2008, reaching about 300 villagers per session.
In the schools, health clubs composed of students were implemented and trained. Their main mission was to raise hygiene and sanitation awareness in the school. The project
worked in eight primary schools with an average of 300 students each.

A learning brief in English and in French has been published featuring the most important lessons learned.

The general objective of the project is to develop a model for the promotion of hygienic water use and sanitation through the use of enhanced information and communication technologies. Specific objectives:

• Increase of ICT skills within project staff;
• Increase of ICT skills and know-how of extension workers in the department of Bokin;
• Improving internal communication between the headquarters of Sahel Solidarité and the local office in Bokin;
• Develop experimental methodologies of sensitisation and of information services concerning the use of water, through the use of ICT and multimedia.

In the 20 villages covered by the project, it has already been noted that hygiene is satisfactory in the vicinity of sanitary and water facilities. There are brooms around the latrines and the latrines are cleaned at least twice a week. Hygienists have noted that women ensure that their children do not defecate in the middle of the yard, which still happens in other villages. Answers to the questionnaires illustrate the changes: “I know now the different diseases and the good and bad practices.” “I learned that children stools are as dangerous as those of adults.” “I keep my latrine clean after I leave.”

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The use of ICT enabled the project to reach a large number of people with few resources. For example, sensitisation sessions in the villages reach up to 300 people, because a projector is being used and pictures of water hygiene practices are projected on a large screen.

With regard to knowledge transfer to the grassroots, the use of ICT tools in awareness-raising activities is a very appropriate method. The project teaches hygienists to take photos in the villages of water hygiene practices. During the (nocturnal) sensitisation sessions, these photos are projected on a large screen to facilitate the discussion. Through visualising and questioning the day-to-day water and hygiene habits, the villagers understand easily which practices are good and which can be improved.

A learning brief in English and in French has been published featuring the most important lessons learned.

Sahel Solidarité is a national non-governmental organization (NGO) that was established in 1973. Its mission is to contribute in building capacity for peasant farmers and marginalized specific groups, for them to take care of their own development. Apart from water and sanitation, the organisation is active in agriculture, health, education and environment.

The project would be an ideal candidate for replication on a larger scale if the project team works out the concept and shares it with like-minded NGOs and other awareness creation programmes.