The training of human resources in the water and sanitation sector is a shared concern in Africa. This prompted reflection on this issue, initiated by 2IE, which organized a panel discussion in which Mouhamadou Guèye from the On-Site Sanitation Promotion Unit participated. “The GSGS Program is organized with the 2IE Institute in Burkina Faso. It covers West and Central Africa, as well as Asia. The objective is capacity building through degree-granting training. The first Master's program in on-site sanitation was created in Ouagadougou, and the third cohort graduated last year. Abidjan also has its Master's program at the Houphouët Boigny University, and Senegal will launch its program this year at the Institute of Environmental Sciences (ISE),” explained Mouhamadou Guèye during a panel organized by the Global Sanitation Graduate School (GSGS).

The unique aspect of these training programs is their focus on vulnerable groups, offering opportunities to young refugees and people with disabilities. They are expected to address the resource gap in the intermediate stages of the supply chain.

“This program is funded by the Gates Foundation and the Mastercard Foundation. It’s an inclusive program that supports all vulnerable groups. Since there are quite a few refugees in this area of Burkina Faso, recruitment is even targeted within the refugee camps themselves. Therefore, there is a quota allocated to these refugees and another quota allocated to people with reduced mobility,” explained Mr. Mouhamadou Guèye, who thanked the Director General of the National Sanitation Office of Senegal, Mr. Séni Diene, for appointing him to participate in the review of the program's texts in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.

“I had participated in the revision of the texts for the Master’s program in autonomous sanitation on behalf of ONAS. The GSGS program has two types of partners, academic partners and non-academic partners. In Senegal, the non-academic partner is ONAS,” he said.

According to the latter, the present project aims to create and organize a training center for intermediate and specialization diplomas in Productive Sanitation (SAP) in Dakar for learners at the level of Primary Elementary Studies Certificate (CEPE), Vocational Aptitude Certificate (CAP) and Middle School Leaving Certificate (BFEM).

“ONAS is requesting support from GSGS to create a vocational training program at the level of a Vocational Aptitude Certificate (CAP) and a technician in Productive Sanitation (TAP). Indeed, two-thirds of ONAS’s staff are service providers who mostly work in the sewer network. These personnel have the skills because of their field experience, but often lack formal qualifications,” argued Mouhamadou Guèye.