The Reinforcing Capacity of African Sanitation and Non-sewer and Fecal Sludge Management System Operators Program (RASOP-Africa) assessed in Yaoundé, from March 13 to 15, 2017, its activities carried out in the first year. This was on the occasion of a workshop organized by the African Water Association, the parent organization of the Rasop program.

This meeting of exchanges, allowed the coordinator of RASOP-Africa, Dr. Mbaye Mbéguéré, to present the general progress of this program. 93% of the activities planned for the first year were actually carried out. The consultants in charge of monitoring the implementation of the program in the five beneficiary cities, namely Bamako (Mali), Kampala (Uganda), Lusaka (Zambia), Yamoussoukro (Côte d'Ivoire) and Yaoundé (Cameroon), then gave an overview of the progress achieved in 2016. Overall, it should be noted that the first year was used to assess the situation of sanitation and fecal sludge management in the five cities and to develop performance improvement plans to serve as a compass for these African cities.

The participants then listened to two presentations on the successful experiences of the municipality of eThekwini (Durban, South Africa) and the National Sanitation Office of Senegal (ONAS). EThekwini acts as a mentor for English-speaking implementing partners, Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) and Lusaka Water and Sewerage Company (LWSC), while ONAS supports French-speaking partners, the National Agency for the Management of Mali's Wastewater Treatment Plants (ANGESEM), the National Agency for Sanitation and Drainage (ONAD) of Côte d'Ivoire, the Yaoundé Urban Community. It should be noted that Rasop is a three-year program funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.