The new training project is being implemented as part of the Rural Drinking Water and Sanitation Project (Pepa-MR) currently underway in Burkina Faso. The training will start in January 2022 and will last four months, with one month devoted to the theoretical phase. The practical component will last three months.
The 200 participants will be briefed on the various functions of a water utility in Burkina Faso. The overall issues, the establishment of diagnoses in case of breakdown of drinking water facilities, the establishment of action plans and resolution of problems detected, including plumbing. The Office national de l’eau et de l’Assainissement (ONEA) provides training for future technicians through one of its structures, the Centre des métiers de l’eau (CEMEAU).
FAFPA funding
Through this training, ONEA hopes to ensure the sustainability of some of the drinking water installations in Burkina Faso, particularly those built under the Pepa-MR project. This project aims to build 15 simplified drinking water supply systems and 200 boreholes equipped with human-powered pumps by 2025.
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The Fond d’appui à la formation professionnelle et à l’apprentissage (FAFPA) is ONEA’s financial partner in the new training project. The two organizations signed a partnership agreement a few weeks ago at Cemeau. In addition to improving drinking water supply services, this initiative is an open door to employment for future Burkinabe technicians in the water sector. This training is launched in a context marked by the multiplication of water projects.
The latest initiative, called “Djiguifa Dji”, aims to build 120 drinking water supply and dam safety structures in Burkina Faso. The program will benefit the populations of the country’s 13 regions, mainly in the outskirts of major urban centers.
Inès Magoum