Solar powered computers, digital cameras and projectors are being used in 20 remote villages in Burkina Faso to raise awareness over hygiene and help people adopt good practices. The NGO which has introduced the multi-media hygiene programmes believes that their high tech approach is having a higher impact on hygiene awareness, compared to using of pictures on cards. "We noted that people are more willing to stop their bad practices”, says Paulin Ouédraogo, coordinator of the Burkinabese NGO Sahel Solidarité. And one of the facilitators noted: “With the old method, 15 people were educated, but with the multimedia tools, we reach the whole village.”

Sahel Solidarité has been working with Water Aid since 2005 to change hygiene and sanitation behaviours in Bokin district in the North of Burkina Faso. Multimedia was added with financial and technical support from the International Institute for Communication and Development (IICD).

ICT to clean your hands before eating

This project reinforces the communication capacities of local project staff of the NGO Sahel Solidarité in order to inform villagers in the district of Bokin about hygiene and use of water. After the pilot phase, the project was extended to 20 villages with a total of 20,000 villagers. The Sahel Solidarité office in Bokin has been equipped with an Internet connection, four computers powered by solar energy, five digital cameras and memory sticks, and portable projection equipment to organise multimedia sessions in remote villages.

The total budget for three years is 100,000 euro, of which a large part has been invested in connectivity and equipment, and another part in content development and internal capacity development.

In the 20 villages covered by the project, it has already been noted that hygiene is satisfactory in the vicinity of sanitary and water facilities. There are brooms around the latrines and the latrines are cleaned at least twice a week. Hygienists have noted that women ensure that their children do not defecate in the middle of the yard, which still happens in other villages. Answers to the questionnaires illustrate the changes: “I know now the different diseases and the good and bad practices.” “I learned that children stools are as dangerous as those of adults.” “I keep my latrine clean after I leave.”

Stronger engagement

The introduction of multimedia tools has brought greater participation during the sessions. Pictures are more realistic than drawings on cards, and the screen allows those taking part to have a better view of images and creates a stronger sense of engagement.

IICD helped to train the Sahel Solidarité project team in the use of multi-media tools including digital pictures, video projections and PowerPoint. One female and one male hygiene promoter was trained in each of the 20 villages. Between March 2006 and December 2008 these local women and men conducted 84 hygiene promotion sessions using the portable projector and screen in their villages. They used pictures about good and bad hygiene practices in their villages to raise awareness among the population.

Less than 20% of people wash their hands with soap

In Africa, one hundred children die every hour of diarrhoea, according to an analysis of the hygiene and sanitation situation in 32 African countries (CMAE, ADB, World Bank, WSP, 2008).

Behaviour factors are often underestimated in meeting the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) for water supply and sanitation. Regular use of latrines, for example, can reduce the risks of diarrhoea by 40%. Hand washing with soap after defecation reduces the risks by 50%. According to this analysis, the main challenge is poor hygiene practices. For example, in African countries, less than 20% of the people wash their hands with soap.

Diseases related to water quality and access account for more than 50% of medical consultations in Burkina Faso (Politique Nationale d'Hygiène Publique, 2008). Improvements in water quality and sanitation would help to greatly reduce the morbidity rate from waterborne diseases and lack of hygiene.

Lessons learnt

Solid preparation is needed to gain trust
In preparing for the project, a number of meetings were held for members of the project team to gain a common understanding of the project contents. A meeting was also organised for the authorities to raise their awareness about the project. The population was also been informed about the project and its advantages for the community. This thorough preparation reduced resistance, and so contributed to the success of the project.

Learn from mistakes but don’t embarrass the actors
We learn from our mistakes. This important logic motivated hygienists to show bad hygiene practices that are common in the villages alongside the good one. To avoid embarrassing people, hygienists always discuss the practice with them first and ask their permission to take a picture and show it to the community. The hygiene promoters live in the village and are trusted by the community. Thanks to this trust and cautious approach, the presentation of poor practices helps the community to learn from the mistakes without making fun of anyone.

At the national level, Sahel Solidarité continues to share these experiences with the NGO Framework for Concerted Action in Water supply and Sanitation (CCEPA).

Miep Lenoir IICD, Paulin Ouédraogo, Sahel Solidarité

More information

Sahel Solidarité, Paulin Ouédraogo, e-mail, web site

IICD, François Laureys, e-mail, web site

Tags: africa, capacity development, hygiene promotion, information and communication