Water availability is often a matter of life and death in Africa: people don’t have access to drinking water and the water they drink comes from swamps, streams and rivers. Unless they are contaminated with industrial waste (except for some oil-rich areas, for example, southern Nigeria). These are a good place for parasites and insects that spread severe diseases that are often fatal. Water from s
wamps and large puddles that remain after rains bring the same inconvenience as streams of water polluted by animals and other waste. The most common disease is malaria (swamp fever), which is transmitted by malaria mosquitoes, which kill an estimated 1 to 3 million people annually; a fatal disabling sleeping sickness carried by the tsetse fly; onchocerciasis or river blindness, rishta, poliomyelitis, cholera, bilharziasis, etc. due to disorganization caused by the incapacity of members of society. This problem has reached big cities as well: water supply is carried out in outdated, undeveloped ways. Water pollution, including well water, is increasing due to population growth, lack of sanitation and sanitation, especially in industrial areas. Despite their loud statements, the authorities do not make enough efforts to combat the lack of drinking water, either in cities or in rural areas. The ACTION DIRECTE SAHEL Association, founded over 20 years ago and registered since 2004, produces wells in West Africa, mainly in Ghana, Togo, Benin, Niger, Burkina Faso. This small nongovernmental organization does not receive any financial support. It exists on private donations, often very modest and since 1990 the rights to it belong to Bernard Marie Colte (writer of dramatic works played in more than 30 languages around the world), who only work with the production of water wells. On the other hand, the sale of pieces from the personal collection of ancient African art of the Welsh-Colte family (collected from 1942 to 1963), exhibited every year in Syracuse, Fr. Sicily, Italy also provides resources to the association. As for today, the author's rights, the collection of African art and some donations are not enough to make 15 to 30 wells a year to match our material and technical capabilities. In most cases, we are talking about the time of digging wells with drinking water for provincial villages (there are rare exceptions in cities). Planting is done manually in the traditional way using different techniques depending on the nature of the soil. The well is reinforced with liquid concrete from the bottom to the edge of the well covered with a lid. Waterworks can be used in the vicinity if pets are present. The cost of one well varies based on soil parameters and depth and varies from €2,000 to €20,000. One well can supply water from 100 to 1000 people if necessary. We receive over 200 applications per year. We study requests from September to January. Then we must make a choice of "urgency" based on requests, possible technical problems, financial costs, etc. We are meeting with the heads of the villages who will be in charge of the future wells. The construction of the wells takes place from February to April. In 2010, in order to attract sponsors' help, we audited two wells in Togo, one in the city and the other in the village, their impact on the health of citizens and making the life of (mainly) women and children easier. The result is positive and very encouraging. Donations can be sent by check or money order. One check is mailed. ACTION DIRECTE SAHEL is interested in the French government and countries that have received mutual consent with France. In this case, a discount on income tax has been agreed, up to a maximum of 60% of the donation.
