TITLE:
Traditional Chiefdom and Acceptability of Productive Sanitation by Rural Communities of Bouafle in Côte d’Ivoire
AUTHORS:
Jeannine Tchely Gauze, Ellélé Aimé Marius Yapi, Angenor Kouassi Yao, Théophile Gnagne, Meledje Raymond Mel
KEYWORDS:
Acceptability, Productive Sanitation, Traditional Chieftaincies
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Social Sciences,
Vol.13 No.12,
December
9,
2025
ABSTRACT: Traditional chieftaincies are essential to the management and development of rural communities. They contribute effectively to progress, the adoption of projects, and the implementation of strategies and laws aimed at achieving development. Therefore, the objective of this study was to highlight the role of traditional chieftaincies in the adoption of the productive sanitation project, or ECOSAN, which involves the use of human urine and feces as biofertilizers in agriculture. The study took place in four rural communities in Bouaflé: the Gouro, Yowlè, Baoulé, and Mossi. Focus groups and individual interviews, using a primarily qualitative approach and interview guides, were conducted to better understand the different traditional organizations within the same territory. The results revealed that the acceptance of using sanitized human urine and feces in agriculture was facilitated by the actions of traditional leaders. Thus, communities living in strong social cohesion readily embrace development projects, unlike communities with leadership challenges, where obedience to traditional authorities is based on customary legitimacy. The results also shed light on the organizational chart of the traditional chieftaincy, constructed according to a standard model representative of all the neighborhoods that make up the locality. This study made it possible to evaluate the organization of the traditional chieftaincy around the sanitation project, in order to see its real impact on rural populations in terms of the acceptance of using sanitized human excreta in agriculture. It demonstrated how the chieftaincy led its community to adopt productive sanitation, which was presented to them as a new concept.