A shared commitment to access to water
The DELFINA association committed to a sustainable future
The Delfina association, founded in 2012, is a French international solidarity organisation. It aims to help disadvantaged populations in Africa and the homeless in France by developing socio-educational, health and agri-food projects, with a view to sustainability. Responding as a priority to local needs, it puts in place initiatives that are adapted to and respectful of communities. In terms of access to drinking water, the Delfina association has launched the creation of boreholes and the construction of wells in villages to guarantee a sustainable water supply and reduce the spread of parasitic diseases.
A solid partnership between Nama Analytics and the Sofia region, Madagascar
With the help of our distributor in Madagascar, Nama Analytics, the purifiers were deployed in the Sofia region, and more specifically in the village of Ankobakoba. The volunteers were trained in the use of ORISA® in France by Zahid Jawarhoussen, Managing Director of Nama Analytics. The company has a stock of ORISA® in Antananarivo, which it sent to the Sofia region. Once there, the team of volunteers, including Alain and Rod, who were responsible for training, were able to handle the purifiers before distributing them. In a village with no borehole, 27 families each received an ORISA® purifier. In addition, 3 purifiers were given to Jeannine, a local volunteer and English teacher who helped build the school near the village. Finally, another purifier was donated to the village dispensary.
Women and water: daily challenges in the Sofia region, Madagascar
When it comes to supplying the local population with water, it is mainly the women who are in charge, as the men work in the fields. To get water, they go to the rice fields when it rains. During the dry season, they have to walk 2km to a muddy river or even 4km to the Sofia river, where the current is very strong, and then another 4km back to the village. They carry 20-litre cans by hand and sometimes use an ox cart if it's not being used in the fields. In the past, the villagers drank the water without filtering or boiling it, simply letting it settle before drinking it. What's more, this unsuitable water was used to cook rice and for washing. The Marovantaza secondary school, located 8 km from Ankobakoba, has access to drinking water via a standpipe. However, the school and high school, located several kilometres from the village, do not have access to clean water, which has led to numerous cases of dysentery among the children.
ORISA® training and demonstrations
Two demonstration and training sessions were organised in the village to introduce the ORISA® water purifier: one for men and another for women, so that everyone felt involved. The beneficiaries were able to see, for example, the difference in the colour of the water before and after filtration, which underlined the need to purify their water. Following this, around ten men and ten women were able to test the water purification system individually. The residents were very pleasantly surprised by the performance of the device and were very happy to benefit from it, which they found light and easy to use. The residents saw ORISA® as an essential tool for improving their quality of life, almost like a medicine.
Ensuring the durability of purifiers
In the long term, it's crucial to ensure that the purifiers are properly maintained so that they don't fall by the wayside when they break down. To this end, English teacher Jeannine has been trained to maintain the ORISA® purifiers. During their use, two purifiers broke down. Another local volunteer, Fanja, who looks after projects for the Delfina association, travelled to the Sofia region with the documents and internet links needed for the repairs. Thanks to the tutorials provided, the purifiers were successfully repaired. In addition, three other villagers volunteered to be trained in the maintenance of the purifiers, marking a great success for the association.
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Beneficiary ownership of ORISA® water filters.
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Appropriation of maintenance operations
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Demonstration of the ORISA® water purifier
"Access to water remains a major problem. We provide autonomy to people whether they are in emergency or humanitarian development situations".
David Monnier, former humanitarian, Chairman and co-founder of Fonto de vivo, is your point of contact for humanitarian programmes dedicated to access to clean water.
"Adapting filtration technologies to individual needs and making them affordable, to meet the social and environmental challenges of our time".
Anthony Cailleau, French representative for projects in Colombia, Managing Director and co-founder of Fonto de vivo, contact for development aid and international cooperation.