Open Menu
19.06.2017

Ouagadougou – A slum upgrade project in Burkino Faso is empowering women and youth to deliver basic urban services to some 30,000 residents in the country’s capital.

The object of the slum upgrade project is to improve the living conditions of slum and informal settlement dwellers in Bissighin area, located in Ougadougou. The project received USD 100,000 from the Participatory Slum Upgrading Programme (PSUP), an initiative of the Africa, Caribbean and Pacific Secretariat, financed by the European Commission and implemented by UN-Habitat.

Since the project was launched, women and youth living in Bissighin have constructed public spaces, including a road and health centre, to increase the number of safe public spaces available. In addition, rainwater drainage infrastructure was constructed to prevent flooding and reduce the spread of water-borne diseases, especially for children under five years and pregnant mothers, Florence Comporé, who lives in Bissighin, said in a UN-Habitat statement.

Funds were also used to promote gender equality, and women and girls were trained in brick construction and solid waste management to provide them with the skills needed to earn a living and escape the vicious cycle of poverty.

“Girls were also trained in the installation and maintenance of the alternative energy sources that include solar and plumbing, thereby contributing to an increase in the number of skilled labourers available at neighbourhood level to address plumbing and energy issues,” said Comporé. “Before the training, men formed the majority of skilled labourers in the energy and plumbing sectors.”

According to UN-Habitat, Burkina Faso’s population is predominately rural, with just 29 per cent of its population residing in urban areas. However, an overwhelming 65.8 per cent of its urban population resides in slums and informal settlements, highlighting the urgent need to increase the availability of housing, basic services and infrastructure in urban areas.