By: Ijoo Bosco
Eastern Equatoria State health officials gathered for a two days forum in Torit to review WASH programs across the eight counties of the State.
The sub national WASH joint sector review meeting drawn a number of WASH and Sanitation actors from the Boma level, Payam level and County actors to analyze their progress performance and challenges within their respective regions.
The Chief of party for USAID Afia WASH program, Mr. Dennis Daniel Mwanza said the main objective of the program is to increase gender aware, sensitive access to water and sanitation as well behavior change.
“We need to promote gender inclusivity in our society to help streamline WASH and Sanitation program this is very crucial in term of sustainability of our community projects on wash other than some sex” Dennis noted.
Mwanza said the program is meant to build the capacity of the countys government as well Payams in order to facilitate the provision of water and sanitation services in the counties.
He also called on State counties WASH officers to prioritize Wash and Sanitation services within their localities, adding that by forming a governing body to manage the facility it will be of great resource for them.
The USAID chief of party stressed that, they are trying to keep the county government informed about programs centered on water and sanitation in their respective areas.
“County authorities are now being involve actively in accessing the maintenance and education of the locals through local government rules of laws meant to protect the asset” said Mwanza.
He encouraged the local community in their respective project beneficiaries to help sustain the valuable resources provided to them in their locality.
The official reiterated that, there’s nobody that may come to administer the responsibilities for caring except for their assets but it’s by uniting themselves for a common goal to sustain the available resource provided for them.
Meanwhile, Torit County WASH officer, Dominic Osio stated that, the partners need to do more in provision of clean drinking water and wash facilities basically in most remote and populated areas in the county Payams.
Mr. Osio added that, repairs and rehabilitation of most strategic areas across the State counties are very dilapidated hence there is need for WASH centers repair service to be prioritized.
“Indeed, many of our WASSh facilities are broken down coupled with bad roads that give way for partners to go and service our facilities, we need to join hands to help our community” said Osio.
Other WASH officers also lamented financial delay and motivation for them as a leading factor contributing to poor maintenance of sanitation around wash facilities.
The two days Wash and Sanitation sub-national joint review forum concluded with a call for all actors to prioritize water and sanitation within their respective State counties.