Drinking water for three districts of Kpalimé

"Past experience with previous projects, including 3.7 km of lines laid, 103 private connections, 4 standpipes and 4 public connections, seem to me a sufficient guarantee of the soundness of the project."

Florent Besseau

Signed in 1991, the twinning treaty binding the towns of Bressuire (Deux-Sèvres) and Kpalimé (southern Togo) is driven by two nonprofits, Amitié Bressuire-Kpalimé (ABK) at Bressuire and the Association for the Development of Twinning between Kpalimé and Bressuire, based in Kpalimé. Their common goal is to promote all forms of exchanges between the two towns (opening up of Bressuire youth to the African continent and support for local dynamics, in order to promote the self-sufficiency of the population of Kpalimé).

In 2008, the nonprofit successfully conducted a pilot experiment in the Kpégolonou district of Kpalimé. No less than 450 meters of lines were laid, 21 family concessions connected, plus a school, and, a proof of local involvement, the young people of the district participated in the excavation and backfilling of the trenches required for the project.

More than 4 km of public lines

Since then, Amitié Bressuire-Kpalimé, together with the population of the various districts of Kpalimé, their development council, the municipality and the Togolese Water Agency (local technico-economic partner) has been continuing to expand the network. The focus of the first triennial program (2009-2011), the districts of Tsivé, Nyévémé and Kliguékondj, have been connected. Today, it's the turn of Numétukodzi, Kpéta and Zongo, districts located in the east of the city, with the poorest population. This time, more than 4 km of public lines will have to be laid, together with 6 standpipes, 55 family concession contracts and three schools to be supplied with drinking water.A total of nearly 2 400 persons are concerned.

The Veolia Foundation has been approached for the Zongo district, where 1 500 meters of lines, 2 standpipes, 20 connections are slated to supply drinking water to about 700 persons, including 350 children.