Extension of the Water and Sanitation program in the municipality of Zakpota

The commune of Zakpota in Benin is one of the poorest in the country, leading many families to put their children to work. 901% of the population also lacks access to clean drinking water and uses river water as their primary source of drinking water.

The Beninese association Enagnon Dandan is based in Zakpota, working on agricultural projects. This rural area is very remote from the rest of the municipality, exacerbating the daily challenges faced by its inhabitants. Only one functioning pump serves the 3,100 residents, and there is no sanitation infrastructure. The population collects rainwater, water from streams, or runoff in dug pits, water that carries diseases. Connecting the communities targeted by the association to the existing water supply network is not feasible due to their distance of more than ten kilometers.

The population has made access to drinking water a priority, prompting the Enagnon Dandan and Action-Solidarity associations to mobilize in the area. A first project has already been implemented in eight villages surrounding the pilot moringa farm. This project was accompanied by an agroforestry initiative, through which 15,000 moringa seedlings were distributed to the local communities. However, the water project is not yet complete and requires a second phase in six of the most remote and isolated villages in the area. The installation of six hand-drilled boreholes and sanitation facilities in these six villages will help combat mortality from waterborne diseases and the lack of access to drinking water experienced by the residents.