Washroom facilities

The Need

Compassion’s church partners across Burkina Faso long to be a haven for children and families—a place where boys and girls can receive the love, care and support that they need and deserve, regardless of their social or economic status. But for eleven of our partners, the lack of decent, safe washroom facilities was a major obstacle. With only a single toilet at each centre, children were forced to wait in long lines every time they needed to use the washroom. Many were resorting to relieving themselves outdoors, contributing to environmental pollution and driving the spread of hygiene-related diseases like cholera, diarrhea and intestinal worms. With children falling sick so frequently, our partners were also spending large portions of their budget on medical needs. The situation was unsustainable and posed a real threat to children’s long-term health and safety.

Our partners knew that installing proper, safe washrooms at their facilities would make a drastic difference for the children and families they are serving. Each church had set aside a piece of land and some building materials to help construct new washroom facilities. But in order to see this important intervention through to completion, they needed help.

Our Response

With your generous support, we are helping eleven Compassion church partners in Burkina Faso construct new washroom facilities and handwashing stations. This initiative is well underway, with our partners reporting that construction is approximately 70 per cent complete. Once finished, the new sanitation facilities will impact 3,166 children and their caregivers—a total of 3,666 people.

This initiative was formally launched in January 2022. Each church formed steering committees that were responsible for managing funds, hiring contractors and overseeing the construction process. A technical controller was responsible for working with church committees to monitor construction. Churches have been working closely with Compassion’s National Office in Burkina Faso to oversee the budget and construction of the facilities. An inception meeting was held with Compassion centre leadership, a representative of each steering committee, a partnership manager for the western region of Burkina Faso and the respective partnership facilitators to explain project requirements and roles and responsibilities to ensure quality and timely implementation of the project.

Contractors for each facility were selected through a bidding process and construction on the new facilities began. Work has progressed well, and all our partners are expecting to be done on schedule. Each new facility includes four washrooms divided into two blocks for girls and boys, as well as a set of sinks for hand washing. Churches are also in the process of planning their hygiene sanitation workshops, which they expect to run in the next few months.

Activities

Excavation: Four pit latrines have been dug out at each church and septic tanks have been installed.

Quality construction: Each sanitary facility has a poured concrete foundation and cement block walls to ensure it is durable and will last for years to come.

Finishings: Walls have been finished with roughcast, a coarse plaster surface consisting of cement mixed with sand or plaster. Work on the facilities is still underway but is progressing on schedule.

Your Gift Provides...

Your support is helping 11 Compassion church partners in Burkina Faso construct safe washroom facilities and hand washing stations, including:

• Landscaping
• Trench infrastructure: excavation, reinforced concrete, bricklaying, waterproof coating
• Superstructure: reinforced concrete, ramps and steps, masonry work
• Framing, roofing and waterproofing
• Metal joinery and installation of metal doors and windows
• Sanitary plumbing, including showers and floor drains
• Electrical wiring and installation of light fixtures
• Coating and tiling
• Painting
• Hygiene education training: two training sessions each for 11 centres, snacks and refreshments and child-friendly educational murals
• Project monitoring, meetings and inauguration ceremonies