After more than four decades, the dream of a dam to serve the 50,000 people of Burkina Faso’s Poa commune is finally becoming a reality.
The West African country is landlocked and has historically struggled with the whims of unpredictable rainfall, challenges that have only been exacerbated with the climate crisis. The mobilization of water resources and their development are central to ensuring food security and combating extreme poverty.
“This dam has long been desired. Our grandparents had even started digging with their bare hands. I am very happy to see the realization of this jewel and especially very proud to participate in the realization of the work,”
? said Augustin Somanda.
The Niangdo dam was born of the commitment and determination of the sons and daughters of the commune. And it was as a result of their advocacy that the project launched in 2020 as a partnership of the Government and UNDP, and with the support of the India-UN Development Partnership Fund.
But it’s more than just water that the project is bringing to the community. It has also brought jobs. “My main activity is masonry, which I have been doing for years in the commune. When the company informed me that it would give preference to local labour, I was doubly delighted because I would be able to contribute to the realization of the dam so dreamed of in the village in addition to having paid work,” said Augustin, a local son now serving as the project’s chief mason, managing a team of three masons and six labourers. “I was recruited for the construction of the site’s living quarters, in particular the shed and the wire fence, before working as a chief mason for the construction of the dry riprap to protect the dam’s embankment,” he added.
Along with the jobs, the community has experienced a welcome economic vitality. Restaurants run by women have been strengthened, not to mention the small traders and the mobilization of the village’s idle youth.
“With the amount I have been able to get now, about 500,000 CFA francs (US$850), thanks to the work, I have been able to pay for the school fees of my four children; I have also bought goats for breeding. By the end of the project, I plan to start selling cereals with the savings and to produce vegetables,”
? said Augustin.
For the community, the collective will to see the dam built serves as a beautiful example of solidarity and social cohesion with the leadership of the communal authorities.
“We see the benefits that dams have brought to communities in other communes of the region and elsewhere in the country. I am convinced, like everyone else in this village, of the benefits that this dam will bring to the locality,” Augustin stated. “Already the fact that we find ourselves around this construction site with enthusiasm really augurs a bright future for us, while creating a lot of hope for the development of the perimeter for agricultural production. I would like to say “thank you” to UNDP, India and the Government and to all those who have contributed to making our dream a reality. Thank you also to all those who will contribute to help us achieve the development of the perimeter for the benefit of the entire region and our children.”
