The handover of the organization of the next congress of the African Water and Sanitation Association (AAEA), in Senegal, took place through the lens of African tradition. A troupe of men and women emerged from behind the audience and advanced in a procession punctuated by dance steps. They took to the stage and performed a choreographed semicircle. A woman held a sculpture of a dugout canoe, with paddlers rowing from a Cameroonian coastal town to a Senegalese one, landing at the foot of the African Renaissance Monument, which Africa presents at the Palais des Congrès, visible in the background as a mural. Cameroon passed the torch to Senegal in a beautiful symphony.

“It was here that they won their first AFCON. It was in Cameroon that they learned how to win the AFCON. We have a strong Senegalese delegation. Senegal and Cameroon are both coastal countries. That's why a traditional dance from one of our Cameroonian communities is being performed as we pass the torch to you. The pirogue will carry the insignia of the African Water and Sanitation Association to Dakar, to its African Renaissance Monument. One of the symbols of this community is its traditional clothing,” commented the President of the African Water and Sanitation Association.

On stage, the presentation of the dugout canoe, the paddle, and the wrapping of the traditional loincloth around SONES Director General Abdoul Niang unfolded to the cheers of the audience. On this platform, Senegal, represented by Abdou Niang, who stood for the Senegalese Minister of Water and Sanitation, Dr. Cheikh Tidiane Dièye, weighed the heavy responsibility of welcoming Africa and the world of water and sanitation to the land of Teranga (hospitality). "This designation is both an honor and a responsibility. It confirms Senegal's unwavering commitment to the African water and sanitation agenda ," declared SONES Director General Abdoul Niang, amidst the flashing cameras of photographers and the live stream of videographers. The symbolic handover was captured on film.

Members of the Senegalese delegation, some wearing scarves in the colors of the Senegalese national flag around their necks, others draped in their arms, cheered. Some were swept away by the music. The room erupted in a festive atmosphere, a far cry from the previous protocol. From Yaoundé, Senegal set the tone for the Dakar congress.

By the time of the next congress, the fruits of Yaoundé must live up to their promises. The 23rd ^Congress must be the starting point for implementing the commitments made . “ The real challenge begins now. Our collective responsibility is to transform the commitments expressed here into strengthened public policies, structural investments, and concrete improvements for the people of Africa. Yaoundé is not an end, but a starting point , ” believes AAEA President Blaise Moussa. This is true. Water and sanitation management is not solely a technical matter. It also has a cultural dimension.

BS