CONSTRUCTION OF ECOLOGICAL LATRINES FOR 6 SCHOOLS IN NORTHERN IVORY COAST

With its 29 million inhabitants, Côte d'Ivoire is one of the leading economies in West Africa. In macroeconomic terms, the country has been experiencing rapid growth since 2012, with an average annual GDP growth rate between 7 and 9.5%. However, these figures appear to contrast sharply with social data, particularly in the area of education.

With one of the highest primary school enrollment rates in West Africa (1,001 gross enrollments in 2020), the country is primarily characterized by significant regional disparities in education, to the detriment of rural areas. One of the many causes of school dropout in these areas is the lack of infrastructure. According to UNICEF, more than 501 schools in Côte d'Ivoire lacked toilets and water points in 2022. For the 2017-2018 school year, the statistical yearbook indicated that only 331 schools had functioning latrines, forcing students to practice open defecation.

The Poro region, where the project is located, suffers from significant challenges across all indicators of social well-being and sustainable development. While village schools in the region are operational, they lack clean and hygienic latrines. In this context, ASDAE, which has been working in the area since 2013, has set itself the goal of supporting local initiatives and empowering communities. In 2016, ecological latrines were installed in the public school in the village of Katia. Following the very positive results of this pilot project (no odor, reduced environmental impact, and ease of construction and maintenance), the current plan is to extend this model to other schools.