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Rotary 20 – Well Project Summary

In partnership with Rotary International, BARKA is currently undertaking a Water, Sanitation and Hygiene project in Burkina Faso, West Africa. This project involves drilling 20 wells in the most water-scarce communities of the commune of Fada N’Gourma, the capital of the eastern region, and establishes a plan for their sustainability. These 20 wells will directly benefit 20,000 people. The partnership with Rotary is headed by the partner clubs of Marblehead, MA and Sedro-Wooley, WA. Funding is currently underway, with preliminary financial commitments from local rotary clubs and individual Rotarians. BARKA will also contribute 5M F CFA (roughly $10,000) over the course of five years following project completion, to be used for long-term monitoring and evaluation. 

This project will address a dire need for clean water particularly in the eastern region. The historically high gap between water demand and supply is currently being made worse by a large influx of internally displaced persons who are moving to Fada because of security concerns in rural areas. This is placing enormous stress on a water management system that was already insufficient to meet the population’s needs.

BARKA has a track record of successful partnership with Rotary on WASH projects. Previously, BARKA successfully implemented two Future Vision WASH grants in Burkina Faso with funds from local rotary clubs that were matched at the district level, and again by The Rotary Foundation, benefitting more than 20,000 people.  

Project Goals

  • Increase access to Clean Drinking Water
  • Establish a water committee to govern each water point and collect funds for its long-term sustainability
  • Heighten the community’s awareness of basic hygiene principles for greater health and impact

Activities Include:

  • Introduction of the project to the wider community, using the process of Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC)
  • Formation of village-based water & sanitation committees to manage and maintain the wells
  • Drilling of 20 new borehole wells in the areas determined to have the greatest need for clean water access.
  • Hygiene education for the community
  • Post-project monitoring and evaluation