Ziro: Villages declared ODF celebrated and rewarded

The NGO D/APS organized on Thursday August 24, 2023 in Sapouy, a ceremony of distinction of the villages declared end of open defecation (ODF) in the province of Ziro. Chaired by High Commissioner Saïba Zoromé, this ceremony saw the efforts of communities in terms of sanitation, welcomed and encouraged.

“Before, when it rains, we don’t want to leave our houses. Dirt and waste invaded our concessions. But with the sensitization of the organizers of the association for peace and solidarity (APS), our living environments are now clean”, testified Wendyam Nana from the village of Payiri in the commune of Bakata.

Boukari Sakandé from the village of Koutera in the commune of Sapouy, for his part maintained that he is no longer ashamed to welcome a stranger into his yard, because he can proudly show him a latrine to relieve himself.

These are among others the testimonies made by the representatives of the 51 villages declared end of defecation in the open air (ODF), at the ceremony.

These villages were assessed and certified by a provincial committee chaired by High Commissioner Saïba Zoromé.

This celebratory ceremony was an opportunity for the authorities to solemnly award certificates of recognition and hand over hygiene and sanitation kits to these 51 villages.

All the speakers at the podium were delighted with the initiative of the NGO-D APS in partnership with UNICEF, which has enabled communities to flourish.

Indeed, significant investments have been made in the area of drinking water supply, hygiene and sanitation in the villages.

The living conditions of populations in rural areas have therefore improved, argued High Commissioner Saïba Zoromé.

He therefore conveyed his congratulations to all the villages declared ODF and encouraged them to sustainably maintain their results.

The chairman of the board of directors of the NGO-D APS, Kevin H. Ouédraogo, for his part, welcomed the commitment and awareness of communities in appropriating the results achieved.

To sustain these results, neighborhood village committees have been set up to now deal with questions of hygiene, sanitation and clean water, he added.

Note that for 17 months, the NGO-D APS implemented the program to accelerate sustainable sanitation through the community-led total sanitation (CLTS) approach in the 6 municipalities of the Ziro province.

CLTS aims for a rational change in behavior on the issue of hygiene and sanitation through empowering communities to take responsibility for themselves by stopping open defecation. With their know-how, APS facilitators have made communities aware of hygiene and sanitation problems in their living environment.

Source: Burkina Information Agency