Africa Projects
Burkina Faso, West Africa
Project Highlight: Deou, Burkina Faso
Learn how you can support the Community of Deou: Brochure (or Printable version)
Villagers in Deou face many basic challenges including limited infrastructure as there are few roads, no electricity, and no municipal water supply. Water is pumped, mostly by hand, from great depth via a few wells. Many of these wells have gone dry, forcing women and children to spend much of their day walking long distances, and waiting in long lines to fill their buckets from a trickle and then carry them on their heads for the long trek home. This process can take up to 24 hours during the dry season, so family members must take turns. When wells are on private land the water must be purchased at high fees.
The village of Deou has requested WMGi's help to plan and implement their watershed activities, specifically with ensuring that erosion is limited and water catchments (called boulis) do not fill up with silt. WMGi will also assist with techniques to increase ground water recharge around wells so that people and animals have access to water year round. WMG is partnering with a non-government organization, AMURT, who has been in the community for over 20 years, and has worked with a WMG member in the past in neighboring Ghana.
WMGi is planning a trip to provide assistance to the village of Deou in early 2010. We are hoping to raise just $5000 to send two WMG members to the community for a month. The need in Deou is immeasurable – and we can have a direct impact.
WMG Partner: AMURT - Project leader
Mali, West Africa
Project highlight: Dogon community in Mandoli, Mali
WMG is partnering with University of Arizona Chapter of Engineers Without Borders to assess rainwater harvesting for potable use in a rural community located in Dogon country in Mali. WMG's Senior Watershed Specialist, Catlow Shipek, is serving as a professional project mentor to the student chapter.
The project assessment trip in May 2009 revealed the need to approach any project through a multi-pronged approach addressing water/sanitation education, improving drinking water quality, and developing additional sustainable supplies of potable water. The all volunteer EWB-UA team is currently in the design and planning phase to develop a phased multi-year collaboration with the community of Mandoli. Fundraising efforts are also underway to support project costs towards ensuring the community has access to clean and reliable drinking water sources.
WMG Partner: Engineers Without Borders - University of Arizona Chapter - Project leader
Ghana, West Africa
Project Highlight: Mafi Zongo, Ghana
WMG’s Engineer/Sanitation Specialist, Sowmya Somnath is a professional mentor for the University of Arizona Student Chapter of Engineers Without Borders (EWB) for a water project in Mafi Zongo, Ghana. The project started in 2004 and was completed in June 2009.
The project serves 10,000 people located in 30 villages and consists of designing and building a new roughing filter to repair an existing sand filter. Sowmya was part of an assessment trip in August 2006 and an implementation/construction trip in Feb 2009 and worked on design and construction management of the filter.
Strong local community leadership and village investment were key factors in making this a successful project.
WMG Partner: Engineers Without Borders - University of Arizona Chapter - Project leader