Description
Community Development in Kenema District Sierra Leone
EWB-DK and its partner EWB–SL address water as a basic human right in a community based approach in Kenema District, Sierra Leone.
The key objectives in this on-going second phase project are to increase and
consolidate a focus and understanding of water as a universal human right by both the rights-holders and amongst the duty-bearers, i.e. local and district authorities in Kenema District in Sierra Leone.
Community Led Total Sanitation
At a local level, the project primarily organizes the communities in a participatory and sustainable way so as be able to maintain the wells constructed. Additionally, the project facilitates the abilities to generate the sufficient user contributions in order to continue the maintenance after the project ends. The project combines its technical aspects with a strengthening capacity development and advocacy activities in respect to relevant authorities in fifteen targeted communities. Another central objective is the health issue applied through Community Led Total Sanitation (CLTS), Sierra Leone’s national strategy on sanitation on community level.
The innovative and new approach applied by EWB–DK and its partner is that the project recognises the weak position and technical knowledge of the local authorities and hence provides for technical assistance in the coordination and networking of all local actors engaged in WASH activities in the district.
The role of local authorities
The community development project in Kenema district serves as an example of a project that not only convey a focus on civil society development through a participatory approach to water, sanitation, organisation and advocacy. The project is also an important step stone for the local authorities in taking on their particular responsibilities in the provision and securing of safe drinking water facilities.
All activities implemented during the project derive from community-level meetings with rights-holders and local non-state authorities as well as district level duty-bearers. This in turn paves the way for a participatory approach to water and sanitation development at all relevant levels. In EWB-DK, we believe that local capacity building enhances the abilities of local communities to act. We also believe that cooperating with both civil society and local authorities provides for a more solid and sustainable result.
For further information on the project: http://www.projekt.iug.dk/
For further information on EWB-DK: http://iug.dk/