projects

Simavi Project in Kenya

Simavi Wash Projekt

Without having proper access and use of WASH facilities at schools and at households the health situation of the community will not improve adequately, and either the school based or the community / household WASH facilities will be overused and overburdened resulting in a reduced lifespan of the facilities. By paying only attention to school WASH while children at home do not have access to for example a latrine or the other way around, having access at home but not at school, only part of the problem has been solved. Specific attention to schools has proven advantages; children- early adopters- learn more easily than adults and they are quicker in adjusting their behaviour. Once children have accepted certain positive behaviour like hand washing or using a hygienic latrine they easily maintain that behaviour when they are adults.

Based on the above Simavi presents the ‘WASH and Learn! An Eastern Africa Community & School WASH Learning and Exchange Programme. By integrating community and school WASH projects in three adjacent countries in East Africa, implemented by three local NGO partners which each have specific features and challenges, Simavi would like to ensure they learn from each other. Different approaches will be followed. By pooling three countries and three partners, Simavi can offer specific learning sessions and sharing for example on the results of pilots on small business development that will be assessed, improved and scaled out. One of the methods to share the learnings also with a broader public will be to add specific pages to the www.washinschools.info website. This website is being managed by the IRC since 2009 and the IRC can arrange to add pages / information on the WvW financed activities to facilitate the internal programme learning and sharing as well as the external sharing of information and experiences. Witteveen & Bos will provide specific technical training to the local NGOs to improve the technical component of the programme. Thereby increasing each their effectiveness at their respective local areas. In the meantime Simavi and A4A can present learning from this programme to improve the Community and School WASH projects of other stakeholders like Rotary Clubs.

 

Programm Title

WASH and Learn! An Eastern Africa Community & School WASH Learning and Exchange Programme

Programme Location

Kenya : Nambale and Teso South Sub-Counties, Busia County, Western Kenya

Main Partner organisations

Kenya : CABDA (NGO, partner of Simavi since 2006), Maji Milele (business partner, prepaid water services), Davis&Shirtlif (private partner, pump supplier)

Main activities

  • Construction of WASH facilities at 27 schools 
  • Construction of water points / kiosks in the villages: 9 in Kenya with 45 household connections, 
  • CLTS in villages: 9 in Kenya 
  • Capacity building on hygiene issues (including Menstrual Hygiene Management), on O&M including cost recovery, on business management, on lobby and advocacy, on monitoring: 
  • At school level: School Management, PTA’s, Health Teachers, School Health Clubs 
  • At community level: Water Management Committees / Water User Groups, CSOs / community groups, leaders, Community Health Workers 
  • Training of local entrepreneurs for WASH facility construction, service provision, operation and maintenance and business management. 
  • Training on small business development/IGAs (Income Generating Activities) and establishment of local revolving funds groups