Report: Peri-urban Water and Sanitation Project 2004

In Nafadji, the sprawling slum area around the perimeter of Mali's capital city, Bamako, less than 50% of the population has access to water. This project creates a water supply and sanitation system, coupled with hygiene education for residents.

The project successfully provided water, sanitation, and hygiene education to Nafadji’s residents. WaterAid Mali also reinforced the institutional and organizational capacity of water and sanitation committees, and JIGI to manage water, sanitation, and hygiene projects.

One initiative incorporated into this project is to encourage women to use covered buckets to fetch water. This improves the quality of drinking water and reduces disease by reducing the possibility of contamination of water whilst being transported from the water source to the home. A covered carrying vessel is not only an important part of the water supply chain, but it also means less water is spilt on the journey. A revolving credit scheme was used to help poor women get access to appropriate buckets.

WaterAid Mali undertook some surveys in the areas in which it worked, which concluded that 96% of the populations targeted over the year were using latrines. WaterAid Mali and partner JIGI were delighted that a fantastic 99% of those surveyed are now practising hand washing before eating. Further observed behaviour changes over the course of the year include an increase from 38% to 66% of women cleaning their water storage containers with soap.