The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has granted US $1.5M West Africa Water SA and Delta SA for water and sanitation projects in Senegal.
The move is part of the agency’s West Africa Trade & Investment Hub (Trade Hub) initiative. West Africa Water SA, the Senegal-based subsidiary of Swiss Fresh Water SA will receive $505,000.
The firm will then use the funds to deploy its Diam’s franchise kiosks at 25 sites in the Dakar area to support existing facilities. These kiosks will also be installed in the Thies and Kaolack regions. Each kiosk will be able to provide 4 m3 of drinking water per day, enough to serve 78,905 people by 2023.
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Delta SA, who specializes in sewerage and stormwater maintenance services in Senegal on the other hand will receive US $999,493 grant which they will use to expand and improve the wastewater collection system in Dakar and its suburbs, as well as in the regions of Rufisque, Thiès, Saint-Louis, Kaolack, Matam, Diourbel and Tambacounda.
The sanitation work will benefit 148,475 households by 2024, which will change the current statistics in Senegal. Senegal has a sanitation access rate of “67.4% in urban areas and 42.3% in rural areas,” according to El Hadji Abdourahmane Ndione, the director general of the Senegalese Association of Standards (ASN). Delta SA will also provide direct employment opportunities for 120 people, 56 of whom will be women and/or young people.
“Approximately 413 jobs will be created and maintained, primarily for kiosk franchisees/operators, the majority of whom will be women and/or youth,” says USAID.
