Boulkiemde: The city of the red rider has gone green. Officially launched on September 2, the second edition of the “Voluntary Clean-Up” operation is in full swing in Koudougou, capital of the Nando region. Under the aegis of local authorities, numerous civil society associations (CSOs) and volunteers, this presidential initiative aims to promote citizen engagement in the sanitation and restoration of vegetation cover.
According to Burkina Information Agency, after a first day devoted to the official launch and training on civics and volunteering, the mobilization took on a new dimension this Wednesday, September 3, 2025. From dawn, local authorities including the governor of Nando, Adama Jean Yves Bere, the Director General of GIP-PNVB, Nestor Noufe, and the mission officer of the presidency of Faso, P¨ma Florent Neya, set an example by rolling up their sleeves. Accompanied by volunteers and young people, they planted 200 trees at the CRS camp and cleaned the gutters along the RN21.
On the sidelines of the activities carried out on the morning of September 3, the governor, Adama Jean Yves Bere, stressed the importance of the initiative. “We must rely on ourselves first,” he said, emphasizing the direct benefits of a healthy living environment and a green environment. “This means that all we must do daily is work to ensure that everything we do is in the public interest.” The regional authority welcomed the strong mobilization of the region’s vital forces and launched a vibrant appeal to the population to ensure that the operation, which continues until September 4, is a “resounding success.”
Nestor Noufe, the Director General of the GIP-PNVB, reiterated the vision behind this action. “We are putting our money where our mouth is by mobilizing on the ground,” he said, justifying the choice of the CRS camp. “The defense and security forces are mobilized for our security, to defend the homeland. It is also good for us to clean up their working environments, to clean up their living environments.” This symbolic action also sends a strong message: the goal is not just to clean for three days, but to encourage the population to take ownership of the initiative in the long term.
The mission officer of the Presidency of Faso to Nando, P¨ma Florent Neya, also expressed his satisfaction. “You see that the people of Nando have taken ownership of the initiative very well because they are very noble,” he commented. He said that planting trees at the CRS camp will provide shade for soldiers “to rest” after their daily efforts in the service of the nation.
The mobilization will continue tomorrow, September 4, at Norbert Zongo University, marking the last day of this pilot operation which, given the initial results, seems to have already won the hearts of the Koudougoulais.