The National Water and Sanitation Office (ONEA) in collaboration with the African Water and Sanitation Association (AAEA), with financial support from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, organized training sessions for mechanical and manual emptiers and managers of emptying companies on good practices and business management. It was from April 24 to 28, 2023 in Bobo-Dioulasso and from May 2 to 6, 2023 in Ouagadougou.
Obsolete trucks, lack of personal equipment (PPE), uncontrolled dumping, insufficient dumping sites, the high number of informal emptying companies… These are all difficulties that undermine the emptying sector in Burkina Faso .
To remedy this, the African Water and Sanitation Association (AAEA) in collaboration with the National Water and Sanitation Office (ONEA) organized training sessions for the benefit of the actors.
Thus, from April 24 to 28, 2023 in Bobo-Dioulasso, mechanical emptiers were trained in best practice techniques.
“I now know that the scavenger must be vaccinated against tetanus, hepatitis B, cholera…”, informed participant Abdoul Karim Zongo.
From May 2 to 6, 2023 in Ouagadougou, mechanical and manual emptiers and company managers from Koudougou, Manga, Ziniaré, Manga and Ouahigouya were also trained.
According to the sanitation training manager at the African Water and Sanitation Association (AAEA), Valentin Yao, the groups of participants, each in their category, were equipped with good and bad emptying practices and civility.
Hygiene and health, maintenance of emptying vehicles, the equipment necessary for the profession, the health risks linked to the practices of the profession and the tools for good management, both administrative and financial, of companies with a view to moving towards formalization and professionalization, were addressed.
To listen to one of the trainers, Dr Becaye Sidy Diop, the spirit is to train them to understand what sanitation knows, the job of desludger, its importance and these difficulties, what is faecal sludge, how treat them and know the types of vaccines the emptier needs. Because “ the goal is for them to be able to provide quality services, ” he added.
“We invite emptying companies to move towards formalization. stressed the sanitation training manager at the African Water and Sanitation Association (AAEA), Valentin Yao.
And the participant, Abdoul Karim Zongo to specify that he learned notions such as the behavior of an emptier towards his client, the cleanliness that one must have in order not to be stigmatized by society, the different vaccines to be taken, the right equipment for the job. “ These lessons will enable me to improve my work. he indicated.
A field trip allowed participants to put the taught modules into practice. They emptied a pit and went to dump it at the Zagtouli faecal sludge treatment site.
According to Valentin Yao, their wish is to bring as many informal companies as possible to formalize because out of approximately 115 existing companies, only 35 are formal.
“We are also expecting support from the State to support this sector and get them to organize themselves better, to have access to credits to buy quality equipment for work and to impose vaccines on them against certain diseases that they could contract in the exercise of their functions”, wished the trainer.
Source: Burkina Information Agency