As WASH partners inform the legislature about challenges and progress in the sector
LIBERIA – Deputy House Speaker, Fonati Koffa has urged WASH actors and development partners to always inform legislators during the implementation of their programs.
Deputy Speaker Koffa noted that with the involvement of lawmakers, and organizations implementing water, sanitation, and hygiene programs in the country activities will be very smooth.
“It will provide the space for lawmakers to inform their people about the partner activities in their district or county, ” Deputy Speaker Kofa said.
The Deputy House Speaker made the assertions when WASH actors and international partners met with lawmakers recently.
The meeting with the legislature by WASH actors and donor partners is in observance of World Toilet Day.
The meeting also focused on donor partners’ activities in the country as it relates to program implementation.
Providing an overview of the meeting, the Executive Director of the National WASH Commission, Salia Kamara, described the meeting with the lawmakers as historic.
Mr. Kamara stressed the meeting will provide a platform for lawmakers to be aware of the challenges, successes, and progress in the WASH sector of the country.
“The WASH Commission and partners decided to meet you because you are the direct representatives of the people”, Kamara noted.
During a presentation, the Director of Program Planning & Technical Services at the National WASH Commission told the gathering about the challenges in the sector.
Mr. Kreplah noted the challenges are enormous, especially sanitation.
Mr. Kreplah indicated that there is some level of improvements made in the provision of safe drinking water to Liberians.
“Our country is not making any significant progress when it comes to the issue of sanitation”, He informed Legislators.
Director Kreplah also told lawmakers about the work some of the international partners are doing in Liberia, as it relates to water, sanitation, and hygiene.
“Liberia needs 5 million in the budget each year to improve WASH service delivery to the citizens”, Director Kreplah asserted.
Mr. Kreplah informed the lawmakers that fragmentation remains a serious issue affecting service delivery in the WASH sector of the country.
Presently he added, at the county level there is no budget allocation to address WASH issues.
“Liberia lost 17 Million due to poor sanitation in the Liberian society” Kreplah noted.
For his part, WaterAid Country Director, Chuchu Selma told lawmakers that his organization is implementing water, sanitation, and hygiene programs in both rural and urban Montserrado County.
Selma noted that his organization is integrating our programs Menstrual Health and Hygiene Management and Nutrition into its WASH activities.
“WaterAid Liberia will continue to work with you as lawmakers to provide basic WASH services,” Selma said.
Also speaking the Secretary General of the WASH Civil Society Network of Liberia, George Kayah, disclosed that during the genesis of advocacy to ensure water, sanitation and hygiene, people saw the WASH group as troublemakers.
Mr. Kayah indicated that WASH CSOs advocacy brought about the establishment of the National WASH Commission.
“The idea concerning WASH service delivery to our people is a triplet arrangement, government on one side, CSOs on the other, and development partners taking another space,” Kayah noted.
He stressed the need for international partners to provide the capacity to strengthen WASH CSOs’ advocacy.
The meeting brought together international partners like WaterAid Liberia, USAID, Population Service International, Action Against Hunger, Liberia WASH Consortium, and Liberia WASH Civil Society Organizations among others.
