Each year, thousands of households in the city of Ouagadougou are affected with flooding. These recurrent floods are the result of clogged drainage systems in the city. In view of the situation in recent years, the I-CHANGE project, through the West African Living Lab (LLWA) in collaboration with the municipality of Ouagadougou, has organised a 21-sanitation-day in the form of community service.
The purpose of this community service was to create more awareness on reducing flooding risks and improving the living conditions of the citizens of Ouagadougou, through the cleaning of drainage canals along Bassawarga Avenue.
Speaking during the launch of the activity, Prof. Kehinde Ogunjobi, Director of Research at the WASCAL Competence Centre, commended the I-change team for the gesture and appealed to citizens for a positive behavioural change for a better management of waste.
‘’I appeal to all, civil servants, individuals, associations, NGOs, and civil societies, to combine efforts to encourage and sensitise citizens through such actions for a healthy and sustainable living environment’’ he said.
According to the third Vice-President of the special delegation of the municipality of Ouagadougou, Mamounata Ouédraogo, the I-Change Project comes exactly at the right time within the context of the current government policy on sanitation.
“The municipality of Ouagadougou is committed to supporting any initiative that is in favour of the well-being of all Burkinabè. That is why we are standing with WASCAL this morning. I would like to seize this opportunity to launch an appeal to all Burkinabè to undertake citizen initiatives like this one, so that we can together make our environment clean,” she said.
Some of the items presented to the municipalities included shovels, masks, rakes, etc.
The I-CHANGE project deals with the challenge of engaging and promoting the active participation of citizens to address climate change, sustainable development, and environmental protection. The I-change project is funded by the European Union, within the framework of the European Green Deal, the European Pact for climate, and the European Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 with WASCAL and CIMA Research foundation as Lead partners.
