The project developed in collaboration with the Rotary Club Pavia Minerva has officially started, with the aim of improving living conditions in the rural area of Ayamé
“The project falls within the Rotary Foundation’s focus area ‘Water, Sanitation and Hygiene’, in line with the WHO’s WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) framework.
Thanks to the close collaboration and support of the Rotary Club of Abidjan (Côte d’Ivoire), Pavia-Minerva, F. Chopin (Warsaw), Ticinum, Voghera, Oltrepò, and Rotaract Pavia, the project was approved for a total amount of approximately €32,000, with about €20,000 funded by the Rotary Foundation.
It has a dual objective: to build water wells and install solar panels in the villages of Magnikro and Ebikro-Kongodjan, and to provide photovoltaic panels to the dispensary in the village of Bilekro-Kalanso in order to power the pump of an existing well that has so far remained unused due to the lack of electricity.
The population is enthusiastic about the availability of drinking water and the installation of nighttime lighting powered by the well’s photovoltaic panels.
The wells in Ebikro-Kongodjan and Magnikro have been completed and families in the villages have received jerry cans with taps so they can bring clean, safe water home for drinking, cooking, and washing. The well at the Bilekro-Kalanso health dispensary will also be electrified soon.Once the availability of water is secured, basic hygiene training courses will be organized for village residents, along with a refresher course for healthcare staff. The courses will be delivered by local experts, supported by an Italian physician specializing in infectious diseases.
The involvement of the local population is considered essential to ensure the sustainability of the project, that is, to achieve long-lasting results and enable the gradual improvement of social, health, and economic conditions. A local WASH committee will be established, with the important task of promoting the activities of the dispensary and spreading good hygiene practices among the population.
The sustainability of this project will be ensured by the two institutions present locally: the Rotary Club of Abidjan and the N.1 Agency of Pavia for Ayamé.
1° well in Ebikro
2° puits in Magnikro
Before the well was built, villagers relied on muddy, contaminated surface water—a source of diseases that were often fatal, especially among children. Now, however, every family has been provided with jerrycans equipped with taps, enabling them to bring home clean, safe water for drinking, cooking, and washing their hands.
The photovoltaic panels powering the well’s electric pump also provide lighting at night, ensuring greater safety for the village after dark. Solar panels have recently been installed to operate the well in Bilekro-Kalanso.
