Can you describe the current project between the town of Aplahoue and the town of Ramonville Saint-Agne?
The current project between the town of Aplahoue and the town of Ramonville Saint-Agne is the rehabilitation of the water supply network in Dekpo, a town of more than
25,000 people, involving replacing the pipework and switching the power supply to mains electricity with a renewable energy backup, at a cost of around 150,000 euros.
Why did you decide to set up a decentralised cooperation?
Decentralised cooperation is provided for and authorised by the decentralisation laws of the Republic of Benin, and allows Beninese communes to build decentralised partnerships with other communes worldwide, in order to share experience, good practice and culture and, where possible, to receive support in raising the resources needed to carry out the projects agreed within the cooperation. So, before drawing up its third Communal Development Plan, mayor Casimir SOSSOU (mayor between 2015 and 2018) set out to find a decentralised cooperation to help the commune, which has a modest budget, find support in order to raise more funds for delivering projects. It was in this context that, during one of his trips to France, he had the opportunity to build a relationship on behalf of the commune, which was sealed by an agreement signed in December 2017.
How did you decide to work with the town of Ramonville?
The communes of Aplahoue and Ramonville have signed two decentralised cooperation agreements that set the direction of the cooperation. Essentially, the two communes chose to work in the water and sanitation sector. The two agree on the projects to be carried out and are supported by an NGO such as HAMAP-Humanitaire acting as project management assistant.
Why did you choose to work with HAMAP-Humanitaire?
We chose to work with HAMAP-Humanitaire because this NGO has the expertise needed to raise funds and the right engineering skills to run development projects. These credentials give HAMAP-Humanitaire the ability to manage the funds collected for delivering the projects, which convinced the two municipalities to entrust it with delegated project ownership for our projects.
What does a partnership with a French town bring you?
The partnership with a French town brings us:
– Exchange visits between the two towns
– Funds raised for projects of community interest
– Awareness work among the users of the facilities so that the gains last
– Stronger capacity among municipal staff.
What difficulties come up in a decentralised cooperation?
The big difficulty lies in changes of leadership at the head of the municipalities, where diverging political will and choices undermine the decisions set out in the agreements, which can sometimes lead to a break in the relationships already established.