April 2024
The USAID-funded Countywide Sanitation Activity (CWSA) aims to achieve a permanent end to open defecation (OD) across five counties in Liberia: Montserrado (rural), Bong, Lofa, Nimba, and Grand Bassa. The objective of ending OD permanently will be accomplished through a coordinated network of public, private, and community actors, enabling Liberian households, to build improved toilets. The five-year grant was awarded to Population Services International (PSI), which leads a consortium of organizations including Concern Worldwide, Athena Infonomics, and Gusceman Incorporated. This award runs from September 1, 2022 through September 30, 2027.
The consortium will achieve its project objective through interventions in the following four result areas:
• Improved sanitation governance
• Adoption of key sanitation behaviors
• Strengthened sanitation markets and
• Increased financing for sanitation
International Women's Day
On March 8, 2024, CWSA proudly joined efforts with the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection and over 1000 incredible women from all walks of life, to commemorate International Women's Day in Liberia. Under the national theme, “Empower Her, Empower All,” CWSA amplified women’s voices during this year’s celebration, with an outdoor exhibition featuring the sale of improved toilets by women entrepreneurs. At CWSA, we believe in forging women’s economic empowerment to build resilient and inclusive communities.
World Water Day
On March 22, CWSA joined WASH stakeholders, including government ministries, agencies, and commissions to commemorate World Water Day. Bobby Whitfield, Outgoing CEO, National WASH Commission of Liberia (left), made opening remarks and shared his sentiments on the urgency to prioritize WASH in Liberia. He said the following:
"If we all put our hands together and view WASH as a development indicator, not as a political tool, we will do very well...I call on the government of Liberia to put their money where their mouth is, and invest in WASH.”
What's New in Sanitation?
CITY INSPECTORS LAUNCH STANDARD CHECKLIST TO IMPROVE SANITATION INSPECTION
CWSA collaborated with city councils in Bong, Nimba, Lofa, Grand Bassa, and Rural Montserrado to develop a standardized checklist to help city and district inspectors conduct sanitation inspections. The checklist is designed to streamline the inspection of households by systematically capturing and recording data about the number of households that lack toilets, the types of toilets in use across communities, the population that is using them, and their maintenance. This initiative seeks to enforce communities’ compliance with sanitation regulations within their respective city ordinances and, particularly Section 2.2 of Liberia's new Public Health Law, which mandates every household to own a toilet.
Recommended by LinkedIn
Augustine Queeglay serves as the Statutory District Inspector of Saclepea in Nimba County. Although he has been an inspector for more than six years, Augustine lacked clear guidelines for conducting inspections. He had solely relied on his personal ideas and method. Following his participation in CWSA's training of the standardized checklist, Augustine and other law enforcement officers at the city and district levels have embraced a more systematic approach for their inspection tasks.
Since the training, Augustine has conducted three inspection tours in Saclepea, together with fellow inspectors. “The standard checklist has not only made data collection easy for me, but it is also helping me to properly organize my work,” Augustine said.
CWSA TRAINS CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONS FOR EFFICIENT AND PRODUCTIVE SERVICES IN COMMUNITIES
Eight (8) Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), comprising of 57 program staff (12 women and 45 men), recently completed a five-day integrated community mobilization training facilitated by CWSA in Gompa City, Nimba County. The training is part of CWSA’s effort to build the capacity of CSOs to strengthen their behavior change and sanitation marketing skills in Bong (2), Lofa (2), Nimba (2), Grand Bassa (1), and Rural Montserrado (1).
The training enhanced the expertise of CSOs to create demand for ownership and use of improved toilets. It also increased their confidence as they prepare to deploy and implement CWSA activities, alongside trained artisans and businesses that are selling Quee Toilets. They will ensure that the Do No Harm Principle of the Core Humanitarian Standards and other governance-related issues on policies, city ordinances, and community bylaws are in order and actively working across all communities.
The training climaxed with a visit to several communities in Gompa City, Nimba, where there is demand for improved toilets. During the field visit, the participants showcased the skills they acquired from the training, which resulted in the sale of two improved toilets.
This newsletter is made possible by the generous support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development ( USAID ).
Contact
Abraham Nyorkor
Learning and Communications Manager, CWSA
-
Mathew Ndote
Chief of Party, CWSA