Aquassistance Organization

At its meeting on 16 December 2008 the Board of Directors approved five new projects. Zogbodomey (Benin), Ankadinondry Sakay (Madagascar), Ambohimbory (Madagascar), Tafacirga (Mali), Beit Sira (Palestine).

The Board also decided after studies carried out on site to continue with the two projects approved at previous meetings: N’Gaparu (Senegal) and Kasongo-Lunda (RDC).

In November 2008, Aquassistance started three partnerships with French local authorities on decentralized cooperation projects. Decentralized cooperation is the possibility for French local authorities, to enter into partnerships with local authorities abroad and once an agreement has been signed and while respecting the international commitments of France to finance their projects. The local authority can rely on an NGO such as Aquassistance for the implementation of its projects.

The French local authorities are now cooperating in 115 countries. This phenomenon involves all the French regions, the vast majority of French departments, and the various levels of grouping of local authorities and municipalities.

 For Aquassistance, the objective is to mobilize its professional skills to execute water supply projects in three towns in West Africa: Nara in Mali, Legmoin in Burkina Faso and Demdeng in Cameroon. The French local authority partners are respectively: Quimperlé (Brittany), Grasse (French Riviera) and Chamonix Mont-Blanc (Alps). 

Village water systems in Kolokani - Genesis of a project

by Jean-François Bost

The Kolokani Circle is located between 60 and 80 km north-west of Bamako. It has approximately 200 000 inhabitants in 285 villages, grouped into ten districts covering an area of 14 380 km2. Kolokani, the capital, is a small town of 10 000 inhabitants. The region is among the poorest of Mali in the South Sahel area affected by drought.

 The Town of Viroflay (Yvelines) and the Kolokani Circle have developed cooperative relations over the last 25 years. This partnership, was completed by the German town of Hassloch (Rhineland-Palatinate) which has been twinned with Viroflay for more than 40 years and a partnership agreement was signed between the three parties in March 2003

Aquassistance is entitled to receive public and private funds for development projects. It may receive special subsidies from local authorities and Water Agencies in application of the Oudin-Santini law (see guide)