The third phase of the project to improve sanitary conditions in schools and rural areas (PASSCO) is now underway. This stage of the project was launched in Tapou, a canton in the Kéran prefecture in Togo's northern region. Passco3 will benefit 200,000 people.
Work on the third phase of the project to improve sanitary conditions in schools and rural areas (PASSCO) was launched on 20 October 2023 by Damehame Yark, Togolese Minister of State for Water and Village Hydraulics. They involve the construction of 850 boreholes equipped with human-powered pumps.
These installations will serve rural primary schools, outlying health units and nearby rural communities in the Savanes and Kara regions, benefiting more than 200,000 people. “This is another step towards our vision of a strong, healthy and educated Togo. It embodies our determination to invest in our future and improve the lives of our fellow citizens”, declared Minister Damehame Yark during the start-up ceremony for PASSCO 3 in Tapou, a canton in the Kéran Division.
Funding from the French Development Agency
As with the two previous stages, the work on PASSCO 3 will be carried out by the French company Vergnet Hydro and the Togolese company ECM (Entreprise de Construction Mécanique), which are due to deliver the infrastructure in 2025. “PASSCO 1 and 2 enabled the construction of a total of 1,000 boreholes equipped with human-powered pumps in the Savanes and Kara regions,” says the Togolese Ministry of Water and Village Hydraulics.
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PASSCO3 will also provide support for the management of water points and hygiene promotion, by assisting water point management structures and water management committees, and promoting the role of women and hygiene awareness and education campaigns. In addition, the capacities of the regional directorates of the Togolese Ministry of Water will be strengthened to give the administration the means to assume its functions of programming, control, monitoring and evaluation, and capitalisation of the project. The cost of PASSCO3 is estimated at 6.5 billion CFA francs (around €10 million), financed with the support of the French Development Agency (AFD).
Inès Magoum
