As part of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's new on-site sanitation strategy, the Foundation's Senior project officer, Dr Mbaye Mbeguere, undertook a two-day working mission to AfWASA headquarters.

The main objective of the mission was to present the Foundation new strategy, to discuss its current investment in the SAO CWIS (City-Wide Inclusive Sanitation) Program, to bring forward its closing date to the end of 2025 instead of 2027, and to draw up an action plan in line with the new deadline.

During the two days of discussions, the activities planned to this end were reviewed, priorities were identified and a clear roadmap was drawn up to ensure that the planned activities are fully implemented.

 At the end of the proceedings, Dr Mbaye expressed his satisfaction with the discussions. He highlighted the Foundation's ambition to make AfWASA a leading center of learning on inclusive sanitation in Africa, hence the importance of reorienting existing activities to meet this crucial objective.

Dr. Siméon Kenfack, AfWASA's Director of Programs, who represented the Executive Director at the meeting, said he was particularly pleased with the exchanges, which enabled the Foundation's new orientations to be clearly understood, and AfWASA's strategy to be aligned with them.

The new strategy of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation aims, among other things, to promote sanitation technologies to enable poor households, particularly in Africa, to have toilets at home.