Gaoua: Place de la Femme cleared of rubbish thanks to the Voluntary Sweeping Operation. The Director General of the National Volunteer Program in Burkina Faso (PNVB), Djourmité Nestor Noufé, welcomed on Sunday in Gaoua the mobilization of the population for the Coup de Balai Volontaire operation, which made it possible to clear the Place de la Femme in Gaoua of the rubbish found there.
According to Burkina Information Agency, early in the morning, armed with machetes, dabas, shovels, rakes, and other tools, the population of Gaoua mobilized around the volunteers and stormed the Place de la Femme. This space, invaded by garbage, no longer reflected the woman, symbol of cleanliness and order. However, after their efforts, the area underwent a significant transformation, akin to a young girl being adorned and freed from obstructions to her beauty.
The operation was a source of satisfaction for Djourmité Nestor Noufé, the general director of the PNVB and initiator of the Coup de Balai Volontaire operation. “We
are on the Place de la Femme to clean it up, but also to raise awareness among the population so that the garbage does not return to the field. It is a source of satisfaction: the population came out, even if it is a Sunday, a day of rest when people go to church,” Noufé stated. He urged for continued mobilization in subsequent cleanup operations to realize the vision of the head of state, emphasizing self-reliance and community responsibility.
Noufé stressed the PNVB’s commitment to making Burkina Faso a model of sanitation and encouraged other communities to participate in the initiative. “Individually and collectively, each of us must clean our immediate environment and sensitize others to follow this example. We must be clean around us to avoid certain diseases,” he concluded.
The governor of the South-West region, Boureima Patrick Savadogo, echoed this sentiment, urging the community to maintain the momentum. “I would like to invite everyone to continue in this dynamic, because the need is there. You s
ee the extent of the garbage in the city of Gaoua. I therefore call on the population to mobilize more to clean up our environment,” Savadogo stated, emphasizing that the ultimate goal is for everyone to voluntarily maintain their living spaces.
Dominique Kodombo, the technical coordinator of the Presidential Initiative for Community Development, highlighted that the operation aligns with the objectives of his structure, which focuses on enhancing the living conditions of Burkinabè people through socio-economic infrastructure and civic engagement. He noted the success of the awareness-raising and training efforts that preceded the cleanup, which aimed to foster community development, patriotic commitment, and civic-mindedness.
Volunteer Sylvie Sinaré, who participated in the operation, expressed her dedication to maintaining the cleanliness of the Place de la Femme. “I got involved because it is about sanitation. It is to beautify the city and make it clean, in order to spare us certain diseases like malari
a and dengue fever,” she stated, pledging to ensure the space remains a credit to women.
The Coup de Balai Volontaire operation, an initiative by the Public Interest Group – National Volunteer Program in Burkina Faso (PNVB) in collaboration with the National Office of Major Projects of Burkina (BN-GPB), is part of the Presidential Initiative for Community Development. It aims to enhance living conditions by cleaning public spaces and combating diseases linked to poor sanitation. The operation, involving 700 volunteers, spans several regions and serves as a pilot phase for a nationwide rollout in 2025.