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All hands on deck for water, sanitation and hygiene in Bweremana

Oxfam selected the ​​Bweremana health zone one of the areas selected for the extension of the SWIFT programme.

Bweremana is located close to the northern tip of Lake Kivu and includes 4 villages, supplied by 2 springs via 3 major water distribution systems. This project involves people at all levels, from local government and neighbourhood chiefs to beneficiaries.
On a visit to the project site, they told us about their involvement.

Ymé Grands Lacs implements the project

Ymé Grands Lacs is Oxfam’s local partner association, they organised the rehabilitation of the water supply systems and the installation of  water points. The programme also includes the construction of latrines and awareness-raising activities.
Working as part of the SWIFT programme has been great because it holds everyone accountable. The Payment by Result contract means everyone has to work hard to reach our objectives. And so far, the feedback from the population has been really good.
Pacifique RudahigwaYme Grands Lacs

Work is done in coordination with local authorities

Local authorities of the Bweremana health zone, as well as local government and area chiefs are included in the project to ensure its official recognition and appropriation.
We are involved from beginning to end, we were consulted before the project started and we give our feedback as it is being implemented. We are also all working together so that the localities can obtain the “Village Assaini” label, a certification from the DRC government, which includes 7 criteria on water, sanitation and hygiene.
Docteur Lucien BinduMedical Director of the Kirotshe Health Zone

The ASUREP manages the water systems

The ASUREP model (Associations d’Usagers des Ressources en Eau Potable) set up by the SWIFT teams is a new form of water network users’ association that is semi-professionalised. Its general assembly members, elected by the community, are volunteers but its management board consists of paid staff recruited for their skills. It relies on users’ contributions to cover its running costs.  This mode of operation makes it possible to ensure the durability of the water systems as well as transparency, avoiding mismanagement issues, such as the misappropriation of installations.
The ASUREP is held accountable, we can’t spend a single franc without justifying it. Now, our biggest challenge is to convince users it is worth paying for our services. We must make people understand that they must contribute to the sustainability of the water network, otherwise the project is doomed to fail. Today we have water that is drinkable but they must understand that at some point, there could be a problem like a landslide for example. If we are not able to pay for repairs, there is a risk of having no potable water. The tariffs are being discussed by water deputies, elected by the community, with neighbourhood leaders. As soon as we have their proposals we can set an amount to be paid. When we collect money, we can set some aside for future extensions. We do not just need money to pay for daily operations or fix breakdowns. There are still places where people travel long distances to get drinking water, the ASUREP must be extended to these areas.
Charles KakumbaPresident of the Bweremana ASUREP

Community relays promote better hygiene practices

While the ASUREP focuses on access to water, another important component of the SWIFT programme is hygiene and sanitation. The community relays are in charge of hygiene promotion and awareness raising. These community members received training from SWIFT Public Health Promoters and they volunteer their time to go door-to-door, encouraging their neighbours to build latrines and install hand-washing devices.
3 times a week, I spend some time visiting my neighbours to ask them questions about their hygiene practices. I offer advice and try to raise awareness. I also report back successes to the SWIFT Public Health Promoters and if what we do is not working, we come up with a new strategy.
Jeanne Kavira MoïseCommunity relay

The residents play an active role in the project

People now have access to safe and reliable water and are responding positively to the actions of the community relays.
We built our own latrines, now a lot of households have their own. We also installed devices to wash our hands.
Kanaume KibikiriKyabondo resident
Hygiene conditions have improved and the district nurses also noted a decrease in cholera cases since the installation of drinking water points and fewer cases of diarrhoeal diseases.
Assessing programming in the context of drought: Miriam’s field work experience in Kenya
Assessing programming in the context of drought: Miriam’s field work experience in Kenya
SWIFT Consortium partners meet in Goma for annual review
SWIFT Consortium partners meet in Goma for annual review

About SWIFT

Since 2014, the Sustainable WASH In Fragile Contexts (SWIFT) Consortium has been working to provide access to water and sanitation and to encourage the adoption of basic hygiene practices in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and in Kenya. Various partners implement SWIFT’s actions in both target countries, in collaboration with governments as well as water providers, including utilities. The consortium is led by Oxfam, and includes Tearfund and the Overseas Development Institute (ODI) as global members. The SWIFT programme is funded by UK aid from the UK government under a Payment by Results (PbR) contract.

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