WASH Alliance project, AMREF in Ethiopia

Ethiopia is one the eight countries where the Dutch WASH Alliance Program operates. The program components include water, sanitation and hygiene components working in the two regions of Oromia and Afar Regional States. In these regions, the program mainly focuses on pastoralist and communities where access to WASH service is relatively difficult, thus creating more burden on women and children. The program will be implemented until 2015 targeting the marginalized communities.

Currently the Dutch WASH Alliance program is working with its alliance member NGOs composed of AMREF-Ethiopia, HCS-RiPPLE, HOAREC, WaterAid and MetaMeta.

Current status

Now the project is being implemented progressively and good achievments have been made. AMREF Ethiopia has successfully signed agreements with the regional government and AMREF Netherland. The AMREF WASH project has contributed a great a deal towards the establishment of different WASH structures such as Afar Regional WASH Forum and district WASH team to develop a strong and continuous networking and collaboration for improved WASH services.

Having a common understanding on the project strategies and objectives with partners and realizing the existing WASH status of each districts is also one important aspects of the accomplishment. Hence, provision of safe water to 4675 people through rehabilitation of none functional boreholes and extension works from the existing sources, conducting hygiene and sanitation education campaign for 3732 community members and conducting different training for staffs, government sector offices and district health professionals are some of the major undertakings.

The major project plans for 2012 fiscal year include:

- Construction of 4 institution Latrines
- Drilling of two boreholes
- Development/improvements of 3 hand dug wells
- Water supply extension works of for one community
- One spring /small scale dam/ development
- Conducting hydro geological survey for 3 sites
- Conducting hygiene and sanitation campaign for 10,933 people
- 4000 IEC material development on participatory hygiene and sanitation practice
- Construction of one shower, a sanitation facility, in Awash bus station to link it with already constructed public latrine by other AMREF projects
- Training for community influential leaders on hygiene and sanitation promotion from CLTS included kebeles and from water and sanitation schemes supplied kebeles (planned 25)
- Training of HEWs (CLTS facilitators) on WASH program objective, strategy and promotion with CLTS approach (planned 60)
- Establishment and support of school WASH clubs (planned 25)
- Hygiene and sanitation campaigns in schools including hand washing demonstration for 3750 students
- Training of teachers on hygiene education at schools (where clubs will be established) (planned for 25 teachers)
- Community mobilization for household sanitation in piloted kebeles for CLTS approach and also in the kebeles where supplied safe water (for 1000 people)
- Facilitate and conduct Open Defecation Free campaign (ODF) declaration ceremonies (planned 4 ceremonies)
- Organizing and supplying of carts for crews in small towns to collect solid wastes (In collaboration of health office and municipality)( planned for 5 groups)
- Review meeting with district environmental health professionals and district health, water office officials to evaluate the ongoing process of hygiene and sanitation promotion activities (planned 20)
- Supporting local CSOs to mainstream WASH activities (networking with the district WASH team, learning, capacity building (2 CSOs)
- Strengthening district WASH teams to support the public sector to fulfill a leading and coordinative role in the WASH sector for 6 districts
- Strengthening the capacity of private sectors through training and supply equipments for water user group management committee (planned 10)
- Training for government and NGO staffs on WASH financing needs ,budgeting and financing opportunities (planned for 12 persons)
- Training for district representatives on budget planning and tracking methodology (planned for 12 persons)
- Awareness creation workshop on the right to water and sanitation service for decision makers like political leaders (planned for 15 people)
- Support partners to adopt sustainable WASH ('FIETS') approach (capacity building, experience sharing, planned 1 partner)
- Integration of thematic issues and approaches of partners (planned for 2 partners)
- Support local and regional authorities to strengthen WASH Emergency Management
- Annual planning and review meetings with partners including GO/NGO forums

The objectives of the Ethiopian WASH Alliance (EWA) program are in line with the overall WASH Alliance program objectives and these are:
1. To Empower communities, specifically women and girls to achieve accessibility to sustainable use of safe drinking Water, Sanitation and hygiene (WASH)
2. To provide relevant service to the business sector, public sector and civil society and to create partnership and respond to the need for WASH services
3. Influence policy makers and key actors through advocacy and ensure sustainability through policies, program alignment and budget allocation
4. Create a stable, complementary, effective and accountable alliance (between North and South), in which participating actors will feel ownership, share knowledge and coordinate work towards sustainable integration of WASH into policies, strategies and programmes, in order to increase the access to and use of WASH facilities.

Goals

• Training 49 persons from government, district and NGO staffs
• Hygiene and sanitation campaign for 10,933 people
• Improved environmental sanitation and hygiene (WASH)
• Improved multi-stakeholder coordination and synergy
• Increased financing of the WASH sector

Sustainability will be assured through:
- Active participation of the community, stake holders and partners
- Building of the capacity of the community, government administrative sector office representatives, professionals, influential leaders
- Establishment of strong networking and integration through establishing of different community structures
- Use of technologies that both appropriate and affordable by the community
- Implementing activities which addresses the community and government high concerns
- Active participation of the community and stakeholders from the very outset of the project to develop sense of owner ship at every step of the project implementation is very important in assuring sustainability.

Example - In developing water sources for a certain community establishing water and sanitation committee which includes hygiene educators and water artesians are very important in mobilizing the community for activities and to manage effectively the water schemes after it has been completed.