The World Surely is flat

When Thomas Friedmans wrotes in his book the World is Flat about how the world is connecting, he did not imagine that the world will join so profoundly in mourning with the American people over the deaths of 20 children and six teachers in a US school massacre as well as for the mother of the culprit and for the culprit.  Condolences have flowed from all over the world signifying that what happens in America is not just and incident in a far away land. As Obama shed tears and committed to see an end to such incidents, many Kenyans shed a tear or two for those families. 

Rwanda's Rulindo District makes great strides in Ensuring Access to water for all in the region

 

Rwanda is making great strides in several areas including improving access to water and sanitation for its citizens as demonstrated in Rulindo district

Water remains a precious and sometimes scarce commodity the world over. This was the case a few years ago with Rulindo district, (one of the districts of Rwanda, North of Kigali) which was ranked at the bottom in terms of access to water and sanitation services, but this is slowly becoming a distant memory as hope for all residents to enjoy the precious commodity slowly becomes reality. 

Rulindo is one of the two districts (alongside Kicukiro) assigned to Water For People when it started its work in Rwanda in 2008. Rulindo occupies an area of 567 km2 and has a total population of approximately 285,000 people. The district is composed of steep hills and valleys, and is divided into 17 sectors, which are further divided into 71 cells and 494 villages (known locally as imidugudu).

According to Water For People Project Manager D Eugene, three sectors out of the 17 sectors of Rulindo have made great progress towards finalizing water supply systems under the project.  One of these, the Kisaro sector water supply system, has water flowing to 28 communities and over 17,000 people.  Water systems in Ntarabana and Burega sectors are now reaching 25 communities with safe drinking water. In Shyorongi and Ngoma, feasibility studies for water supply have been completed and tender processes are being finalized. Feasibility and design studies for the 14 other sectors are underway. 

Access to drinking water in Rulindo has so far surpassed the national average at 78 percent compared to the Rwanda national figure of 71 per cent (MIS July 2012) while the national sanitation coverage is 55 per cent according JMPUNICEF/WHO).

One of the tanks built in collaboration with Water For people in Rulindo

 

One of the tanks built in collaboration with Water For people in Rulindo

The district’s Mayor is pleased by what has been achieved so far: "What has been achieved in just a few years after emerging from war is great," says Rulindo Mayor Justus Kangwage whose district was recently ranked 11^th in terms of water and sanitation coverage amongst Rwanda’s districts. 

Kangwage called for greater leadership at the local district level urging the Executive Secretaries of sectors to hold meetings at decentralized levels to ensure that every person in the district understood the Rulindo challenge as well as the concept of Everyone Forever - including those sectors where the programme had yet to be implemented. The Rulindo Challenge and the Everyone Forever program are the operational concepts being used to promote water and sanitation by Water For People in collaboration with its partners in Rwanda.



Different types of water systems that have been put up in different parts of Rulindo to improve the water supply

The efforts to improve the districts’ water and sanitation services received a major boost when stakeholders in a meeting in Rulindo district came up with key resolutions, aimed at ensuring 100 percent coverage of water and sanitation by 2016.  “The Government of Rwanda has committed itself to an ambitious and elaborate goal to have 100 percent access to drinking water and sanitation services by the year 2020,” according to Ms. Jose Mukanyamwasa, at the National Policy & Strategy for Water Supply and Sanitation Services.  Access to water ranges within the sectors with Buyoga enjoying 95.2 per cent coverage while Rukizo has 47.5 per cent access.

 

Several approaches being used by Water For People in collaboration with key stakeholders to promote access to water and sanitation under the Everyone Forever Initiative, in Rulindo, Rwanda were also unanimously adopted by key stakeholders from the sector at a meeting at Shyorongi in Rulindo.   The meeting was called to discuss progress of the Rulindo Challenge, a project on water services and business opportunities, utilizing Akvo FLOW as a monitoring tool to track progress over time. It was recommended that the current MIS (Management Information System) and Akvo FLOW be harmonized and that the district will buy android phones to facilitate monitoring and evaluation using Akvo FLOW.

The Rulindo Challenge Program Partners’ Workshop Achievements, Challenges and Way Forward that took place between 28-29 November 2012, at Shyorongi, Rulindo, brought together the Rulindo district Mayor, Rulindo vice Mayors, Ministries of infrastructure, education, health, natural resources, relevant units in Rulindo district, sector executive secretaries Rwanda Utility and Regulatory Agency as well as Water for People staff.  Several challenges were identified as major hindrances to the water and sanitation projects including the issue of the management of rural water supply infrastructure; lack of operation and maintenance funds; and high water tariff in rural areas.

James Sano, Deputy Director General of Energy Water and Sanitation Authority (EWSA), noted that the government had put in place a budget line for the Rulindo challenge urging participants to come up with concrete actions rather than dwell on what had been achieved. Sano said the timing of the meeting was good as it provided an opportunity to leverage for funding for the next fiscal year.

DDG of EWSA Mr. SANO James, Rulindo District Mayor Mr. KANGWAGE Justus and WFP Country Director Ms KAMUYUMBU Perpetue

 James Sano, Deputy Director General of Energy Water and Sanitation Authority (EWSA), noted that the government had put in place a budget line for the Rulindo challenge urging participants to come up with concrete actions rather than dwell on what had been achieved. Sano said the timing of the meeting was good as it provided an opportunity to leverage for funding for the next fiscal year.

A market-based approach (called Sanitation as a Business (SAAB)) to sustainable sanitation was recommended to all administrative sectors. An inventory of all unimproved latrines will be done by the end of December 2012 after which a meeting putting together representatives of SACCOs, Executive Secretaries of Sectors, representatives of relevant department at district level, EWSA, Water For People and Boundless (Business Development Services Provider) will discuss in detail quick actions that need to be undertaken so as to improve sanitation conditions at household level through SAAB.

It was recommended to facilitate the formation of water private operators cooperatives which will take care of social considerations and have the required skills set. A water tariff structure was also called for so that the district has a basis by which to negotiate the tariff with the service providers. Current water management systems through private operators wer found to be a good management model, but some improvements are still needed to ensure everyone is happy with the services delivered by the service providers.  To improve the situation of hygiene and sanitation, community-based environmental Health Promotion Programme (CBEHPP), consisting of hygiene and environmental clubs, will operate in Kicukiro and Rulindo.  

The Rwanda Natural Resources department in collaboration with Rulindo District will carry out a rapid assessment on the water resource available in the district to address the unknown quantity and quality of water in Rulindo which had been identified as a major challenge in the district.

Some of the sanitation facilities that require intervention

Some of the sanitation facilities that require intervention

According to Perpetue Kamuyumba, County Director for Water For People – Rwanda, Everyone Forever is Water For People’s initiative whereby the organisation works with other WASH sector players to create a world where women and children are relieved of the burden of walking kilometers to the nearest water source and girls are no longer forced to abandon education to collect water or due to inadequate sanitation. Kamuyumba, added that by ”Everyone”  the organization “seeks to see that every family, every school, and every clinic in the areas we work, has access to improved water and sanitation before we rest, or move to a new place."

 “Forever,” she added, means “we look beyond the work of installing hardware-tanks, pipes, pumps, and latrines, and focus on building local knowledge and institutional systems that support water and sanitation services always.”

 

The participants hailed the Eco san toilets and expressed that they were cost effective as well as sustainable and would be widely adopted by the sectors of Rulindo district.  Eco San, which is an ecological toilet, is a urine-diverting system toilet where feaces are separated from urine and reused as fertilizers.

An Eco San toilet

Urine is separated from the feaces chamber. Addition of ash and or saw dust is regularly poured to minimize odor and moisture. When the first chamber is full, users pull the dried materials to the second chamber and allow it to rest for at least 1-4 months. They then remove the material and store it for 3 to 4 month to stabilize. This mass is thereafter used as fertilizer to grow crops.

In promoting sanitation as a business, Musoni Vincent Patrick, Managing Director of Boundless Consultancy Group (BCG), said, “We have managed to recruit and train seven interested local entrepreneurs working in construction of pit latrines (ECOSAN) and 2 sludge emptiers on different latrine types and pit emptying technologies.” Musoni added that they had developed bankable business plans for local entrepreneurs working in latrine construction and emptying and were able to link entrepreneurs to banks for loan facilities.

Eco - san toilets whose processed waste products are used as manure for farming

Eco - san toilets whose processed waste products are used as manure for farming

hus it seems that very soon if everything remains constant, all residents of Rulindo will have access to a nearby water system, sanitation facilities, and there will be money in the pockets of more people through the sanitation businesses as well as cash or savings from agriculture from the manure from the sanitation facilities.

                ***********************************************************

What is the reason for the Spouse killings

It has become the norm in Kenya to hear that a woman has been hacked to death by a spouse and children killed as well. The other day a man hacked a woman she was in a relationship with after his parents opposed the their solmenising their relationship. Each month there are a couple of cases reported, some months register more cases than others.  My caution to every Kenyan women watch out for any telltale signs.  But I do not know what are the reasons of signs.  Incase you do please share some of the reasons this could be happening and what would be the signs that your spouse is likely to at some point in the future send you to the land of your ancestors.

 7 January 2013 a man from the sprawling Korogocho who had been held on suspicion of killing his five children; three boys and two girls was found dead at the Muthaiga police station in what is suspected to have been a suicide case.  The family is said to have lived in a tiny dark room not bigger than three metres square and neighbours had said the couple quarrelled regularly and sometimes fought physically.  Children a no longer safe in the homes! What should be done to make the children safer!

Matters Population!

               It might now be necessary to mainstream family planning information into most developmental projects, pre-marital counselling and other levels of engagements to Kenyans, given the population trends that planners have warned about. Kenya's population is expected to rise to 80 million by 2030 if the current fertility rates prevail.  Kenya's population is currently estimated at 42 million people with a growth of about 1 million per year with on average woman having a birth rate of 4.6 children.   According to the Nation newspaper article of 31 October, planners are worried by the trend with the economy growing at 3.5 to 4.5 per cent in conttrast with the rapidly growing population.  Nearly half of Kenya population is poor with poverty levels estimated at 46 per cent.  It is now recommended that women give birth to only two children.  Anthony Kilele, Kenya National Bureau of Statistics has always recommended that for Kenya to stabilise, needs to grow three times the population growth.  
             Reducing Kenyans population will be a tall order. Kenyans  love to have children and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that but especially due "serial polygamy"a term introduced to us by Hon Samuel Poghisio, a few years back when he worked as Lectured a subject known then as INS which was more or less about Communication and anthropology. Because Kenyans are divorcing, separting and trying different relationships most people want  additional children to seal the new relationships.  Kenyans love for children is also exhibited by the trauma and stigma suffered by women and man who are not able to bear or sire children.
     A demographic group greatly affected by the population growth is the youth. Warning bells have been sounded on the burgeoning population of youth in Kenya. According to the Ministry of State for Youth Affairs and Sports 75 per cent of Kenya’s population is under 30 years of age while an estimated 36 per cent of Kenyan population are defined as youth with 500,000 youth joining the job market every year.   Ministry of labour estimates that only 25 per cent of these are able to be absorbed in the job market.

Women Aspirants Making inroads as they face threats

Although it is widely believed that women aspirants for the upcoming General elections will not meet the Constitutional threshold that dictates that no more than two thirds of one gender should occupy appointive or electoral positions, it seems that women are making inroads given the rising number of threats a number of women aspirants are facing.
       Atieno Otieno  vying for Governors seat in Kisumu county is one of the women who have this week received threats to drop their bid. Atieno has been told to drop her Governorship bid or be the next.  Apparent reference to the late Shem Onyango Kwega who was seeking a parliamentary seat in Kisumu,  shot in the head yesterday.  (Monday 29 October 2012).    Less than a fortnite ago she gave an impressive performance on an NTV debate for politicians seeking Governorship hosted by Linus Kai kai. Some of the other aspirants interviewed included Jack Ranguma, Rhoda Ahonobadha, Billy Kariaga, Ojwang Kombudho and Barrack Owiti. 

Atieno Otieno during a workshop organised for women aspirants by TUVUKE/AMWIK

       Pascaliah Makonjio seeking a  Member of Parliament seat for Nambale Constituency Busia has had to look for extra security.  Since she declared her candidacy she has received numerous threats.  She says her development record in impeccable and she has done more the the people there than most leaders.  She suspects that threats are due to the fact that she is not born there and also since she is outspoken about contentious issues around the sugar industry and tuff wars between two sugar companies.

Child labour and Media

I spent two days at the Agricultural training center (ATC) training stakeholders in Child labour on how they can effectively use media to talk about child labour. A day before I had arrived the Kisumu airport to find a an impressive Kisumu International airport, having not had an assignment there for long or often travelling by road.  I found a dedicated team of stakeholders including journalists.

Welcome to my blog

Welcome to my blog.  I hope to share with you my insights and experiences on the three topics that am passionate about media, gender and development and areas that I have worked in over the last couple of years.