Cape Verde: The Water That Restores Time and Dignity

There is a simple image that tells the meaning of this work better than any statistic: a woman who no longer has to walk kilometers every day to reach a water supply point. Who can dedicate that time to her family, work, life.

In the municipality of Santa Cruz, on the island of Santiago in Cape Verde, the communities of Boca Larga and Matinho are located in the hilly and inland areas, historically excluded from the main water networks. MSP is working to extend the water infrastructure to homes that still lack it, create new connections and involve the community in future management of the system.

A partnership crossing the Mediterranean

The project is a concrete example of decentralized cooperation. The lead partner is the Municipality of Candiolo, and the Italian partnership includes the municipalities of Piobesi Torinese, Virle Piemonte, Druento, Carignano and Vaie, together with the Polytechnic University of Turin, the CAI and other local bodies. On the Cape Verdean side, partners are the Câmara Municipal of Santa Cruz, Águas de Santiago, schools and local organizations. The funding comes from the Piedmont Region.

This interweaving of local authorities, universities, associations and Cape Verdean institutions demonstrates that international cooperation is built over time, through relationships and mutual trust. It is not something that can be improvised: it requires knowledge of the territory, community involvement and a long-term vision.

More than water

Bringing water closer to homes means reducing a daily burden, but it also means much more. It means allowing families to continue living, farming, raising a family and keeping a community alive on their own land. It means countering the abandonment of rural areas that is often the first and silent consequence of the lack of essential services.

For this reason the project is not limited to infrastructure: it directly involves the community and local administration in future management and maintenance. A project that is then not managed locally is not cooperation — it is charity. Our goal is always autonomy.