WASH PROGRAM UPDATES

1. Introduction

The profile provides you with highlights of work done in the past three years, current situation and the way forward together with the outputs.  There are projects directly managed by WASH Program and there are projects where WASH provides technical advice on implementation of WASH related activities.

1. Program Objectives

The program falls under Health and Social Services strategic area of focus and was established with the purpose of ensuring that the targeted vulnerable communities have access to safe water supply, sanitation and hygiene services all the time.

1. WASH Managed projects in the past 3 years and the outputs

In the past three years WASH successfully implemented and handed over the below listed projects to communities through government machinery. Memories are fresh that remarkable achievements were made:

1. EU-Peri-Urban WASH Project was successfully implemented in Mzuzu and Karonga peri-urban areas worth 1.7 Million Euros focusing on urban water supply, community and school sanitation, waste management including desludging and capacity building. Funded by the European Union, 45,000 people benefitted.
2. Diarrhea Mitigation WASH Project was implemented and successfully completed in Phalombe. It was worth 1.0 Million Euros. Focused on gravity fed water supply, rural community and school sanitation and hygiene plus capacity building. Funded by Netherlands Red Cross, about 60, 000 people benefitted.

1. Current Interventions -Integrated Projects.

The following are the integrated projects WASH is providing technical advisory role on all water, sanitation and hygiene activities being carried out.

1. Supporting Swiss funded project in Salima and Mzimba focusing on rural water supply, thus borehole drilling and rehabilitation, sanitation and hygiene both in schools and rural communities.
2. Supporting Community resilience project funded by the Consortium of 4 national societies led by the Danish Red Cross in Mangochi, Mwanza and Chikwawa. Areas of focus include: rural water supply such as gravity water fed scheme in Mwanza, borehole drilling and rehabilitation in all the three districts, health and school water supply and sanitation including desludging, community sanitation etc.
3. Supporting Resilience Projects funded by ECHO in providing water and sanitation facilities in evacuation centers in Phalombe, Thyolo, Chikwawa and Nsanje districts.
4. Supporting drought resilience projects in Balaka and Machinga districts with safe water supply, sanitation and capacity building.
5. Supporting UNICEF Health funded projects in responding to cholera outbreaks especially in Nsanje, Chikwawa, Lake Chilwa basin and Karonga.

1. Other Engagements
2. WASH has been deployed and participated in disaster response activities in East Africa (Uganda) and other countries within South and Eastern region.
3. Participated in WASH coordination meetings with various partners and organizations in the country.

Way forward/Future Plans

As a way forward, the program has the following plans:

1. Developing a comprehensive WASH project (preliminary stage) targeting cholera hot spot areas of Lake Chilwa basin (Phalombe, Zomba and Machinga) in the south, Karonga and Nkhatabay in the north. With financial support from WHO through IFRC.

2. Planning to conduct pilot study on waste management program focusing on testing temporary sludge storage equipment either in Blantyre, Zomba or Liwonde. Sites to be confirmed.

3. Will continue working and providing technical support to all the integrated projects above in areas as mentioned already.

4. Where possible, will be required to support other national societies in WASH emergencies as a member/s of Regional Disaster Response Team (RDRT)

5. Will continue Participating in various coordination technical meetings or forums to do with WASH both in country and outside.