In Togo, many communities face two major challenges: access to clean water and sanitation, and a lack of economic opportunities for youth. Climate change causes both droughts and floods, making water sources unsafe and damaging agriculture, which is the main source of income for the majority. This makes the future uncertain, especially for young people. PlanBørnefonden and the Grundfos Foundation’s latest collaboration in Togo aims to address this problem.
Togo: Kvinder henter vand ved landsbyens vandpost, hvor soldrevne pumper sparer beboerne for besværet med at hente vand ved kilden. Foto: Daniel Rye for PlanBørnefonden
Over four years, together with a local partner organization, they will ensure that better access to water and sanitation becomes the foundation for future opportunities for young people in the Plateaux region of Togo.
Water as a source for jobs
PlanBørnefonden and the Grundfos Foundation have been working together for years to improve access to clean water, sanitation, and hygiene in Togo. This has resulted in over 60,000 people in 20 villages gaining access to clean water through solar-powered water systems, construction of thousands of latrines, and improved knowledge among residents about hygiene and the risks of using unsafe water sources.
The new collaboration aims to ensure that these positive results translate into long-term changes. Specifically, the project will ensure that sustainable solutions in water, hygiene, and sanitation can also create economic opportunities for young people in the community. This can be through production and sale of menstrual products and equipment for harvesting rainwater, construction and maintenance of latrines, climate-resilient farming methods, and services in waste management, public latrines, and sludge utilization.
This is a sector with potential. The needs are great, and so are the opportunities to create locally anchored solutions that both ensure better access to water and sanitation and provide young people with a potential source of income.
Togo: Access to clean water and sanitation dramatically improves children’s educational opportunities. The last phase of our partnership in Togo will explore how to use water and sanitation as a lever for job creation among young people. Photo: PlanBørnefonden
Background: PlanBørnefonden and the Grundfos Foundation in Togo
The Youth Empowerment and Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (YEWASH) project will be the fifth and final phase in a close collaboration that PlanBørnefonden and the Grundfos Foundation have had over the past decade. The donation of DKK 20 million will ensure the sustainability of water and sanitation installations for more than 70,000 people in the Plateaux region of Togo.
The project builds on learning and research from the University of Copenhagen and the University of Lomé in Togo, focusing on documenting and sharing knowledge in the water and development sector.
The project in Togo is part of a long-term collaboration between PlanBørnefonden and the Grundfos Foundation to create access to clean water, sanitation, and hygiene in several countries. It builds on experiences from Ethiopia and Kenya, where PlanBørnefonden, the Grundfos Foundation, and other actors increasingly integrate efforts to ensure climate adaptation, stability, and economic opportunities, particularly in refugee communities.