Safe Water Strategy 2019 key reflections and milestones for 2020 in Asutifi North District
Capacity Support
Capacity building initiative focused on service monitoring and outcome harvesting benefiting 40 staff of the district assembly. Learning events at the district level covered 166 participants drawn from community and district stakeholders.
Government leadership and buy-in
District expenditure on WASH increased from USD 42, 852 in 2017 to USD 86, 184 in 2019 which shows steady progress towards mobilizing adequate resources for the masterplan implementation.
Partnerships
Building on the master plan the District Assembly is coordinating partner activities through an operational and bilateral agreements signed with partners working in the district. These helps avoid duplication.
Citizens engagements and mobilization
The following three network building activities initiated in 2019 have resulted in increased citizen demand and action for improving WASH services:
- The WASH – customer service - Desk received 89 complaints from citizens and has resolved 61 to date.
- The ANAM WASH Website provides monthly HUB updates.
- A monthly radio programme is used for public education and receiving feedback on the ANAM initiative.
- Annual stakeholders and town hall meetings
Access to WASH services
Safely managed services in urban communities has doubled between 2017 and 2019. In rural communities, 27 hand pumps and 9 limited mechanized boreholes have been constructed whist 34 hand pumps have been rehabilitated. A strong focus on reaching sanitation SDG targets is still lacking.
- 2020 Milestones
- Public report and video on progress towards achieving SDG6 in Asutifi North
- Cross-learning with other organisations on district-wide approaches to build synergies and gain recognition from government for achieving WASH SDGs
- Network building activities.
- Changes in service levels, finance allocations and outcomes of the ANAM initiative tracked and shared
- Total annual funding by all partners and local government to the WASH sector in Asutifi North and its distribution over the different components established
Safe Water Network-Completion of two water stations
Construction works on the provision of safe water for the people of Wamahinso and Gambia No.2 have been completed. A team from SWN visited the District Assembly and the communities to discuss the “setting of tariffs” with them to enable the commencement of operations of the water stations.
System operators were recruited in the communities and trained to handle the technical operations of the system, especially in relation to the iron remover plants. Similarly, vendors / sales girls were also recruited in the communities to manage the sale of safe water at all five (5Nr.) standpipes. A day was set aside for the provision of free water at all the standpipes before the sale of water commenced.
11th ANAM WASH Radio programme
The 11th ANAM WASH Radio programme on Anapua FM, Kenyasi, was aired on 30th January 2020. The focus of the programme was on the PAY AS YOU FETCH APPROACH. The Ola Resettlement Water Board Chairman and one of the water vendors who were resources persons at the programme highlighted the importance of the approach to sustainability and encourage community members to pay for water to help sustain the facilities. Eight phone calls were made into the program by citizens to lend support to the ANAM WASH initiative, others commended the organizers for the programme whilst the rest complained about poor solid waste management in the district.
11th ANAM WASH Radio programme
World Vision Ghana - Gender segregated & disability friendly institutional latrines with HWFs in 2 schools & 2 HCFs
World Vision Ghana has begun construction works on an 8-seater detached gender segregated & disability friendly institutional latrines in Biaso Health Care Facility, Aboagye Nkwanta basic school and the District Assembly model school. The completion of these facilities would ensure patients, students, and staff have improved access to basic sanitation. World Vision is currently collaborating with the District Engineer and the District Planning Officer to monitor the progress of work.
World Vision Ghana - Global WASH Forum Field Visit
As part of activities of the Global WASH Forum hosted in Ghana, participants attending the forum drawn from Word Vision globally, undertook a field visit to the Asutifi North District to learn and experience the District- led approach for achieving full WASH coverage. The team interacted with the CNHF grantees and the District Assembly to learn about the District- led approach to universal WASH. The District assembly made a presentation on the district led approach and the partnership driving the initiative. A panel was constituted to dive deep into the presentation and elucidate on the role of government, the District Assembly and other NGOs in achieving universal access to WASH by 2030. As part of the learning visit, the team visited Kenyasi No 2 cluster of schools, Owusu Ansah and Panaba to learn and interacted with pupils, teachers, partners and community members.
IRC – Ghana: Collaboration across partners
IRC Ghana in pursuance of its hub role in facilitating and enhancing coordination of the partnership to drive change towards achieving SDG6, supported World Vision Ghana and the District assembly to host the World Vision Global WASH team in Asutifi North who were on a learning visit as part of a global WASH forum held in Kumasi , Ghana.
Aquaya Institute
Aquaya has deployed 30 kiosks to water points in Asutifi North. The kiosks are designed to improve revenue generation at the water systems, thereby enabling them to pay for operating expenses such as maintenance, testing, and treatment. Aquaya will be monitoring the financial performance of these water points over 6 months.
UPCOMING ACTIVITIES
- IRC/ Netcentric Campaign
- Organize monthly WASH radio programme
- Network Building
- World Vision International
- PMV/ pump mechanics Training
- Campaigns to raise community awareness on revenue generation & willingness to Pay for services.
- Establish, Train & Support WSMTs & Private Vendors for rehabilitated boreholes.
- Post triggering follow up
- Safe Water Network
- Monitor the stations performance and the general operations
- Roll out household connections after securing prepaid water meters
- Project Commissioning – to be discussed with all stakeholders