Afro Dispatch on Water & Sanitation

Chikhwawa, Malawi

Matriach helps mobilise water and sanitation for her village in Chikhwawa

Meet Elida Singret Timbenawo the lll(Third),she is the Senior Chief of Timbenawo village, Chikwawa, Malawi. with her leadership and mobilisation, she has collaborated with Water For People, in turning around the fate of her village in terms of access to water and sanitation. 

Elida Singret Timbenawo the lll(Third),is the Senior Chief of Timbenawo village, Chikwawa, Malawi

Timbenawo village has come from being a water scarce, disease prone place where women walk for four hours in search of water to one where communal water is readily available, children are healthier and women look smarter and have more time for themselves. However there are few parts of the village yet to get boreholes.

The joy of having a nearby water source! See what a festival, collecting water at peak hours becomes.


So now there is water! 

And more water even for this young one who is lucky to be born at a time when there is a nearby water source.

What about the operation and maintainance of the hand pump boreholes.  Well each village has a water point committee who oversee the running of the water points and usually the tariff is paid by households on a  monthly basis.

mnyambala@waterforpeople.org

Except for a few parts of Chikhwawa which are yet to get boreholes and Water For People intends to construct additional boreholes in the coming months.  See below a woman gets water from a scoop hole. An sure her story will soon change.

Re -imagine Reflection on the future of Rwandas Water and Sanitation

Online yearly tracking of progress in Water and Sanitation in targetted districts

Marceline Nyambala

The first time I heard about Re- imagine reporting was at Water For People; and it immediately conjured up connotative images of people reflecting on past progress of a project by engaging their imagination.  Having been weaned into a diet of  self-explanatory names like Water For People, Everyone Forever I assumed that Re- imagine reporting was in the same regimen.


Nick Burn Chief of Programmes, Water For People discusses the RIR platform with Water For People Staff at their offices in Kigali.

I finally get a chance to participate in such an exercise of the Water For People just a few weeks after launch of the Re- imagine reporting platform that took place on the 17^th of April 2013 in Denver Colorado. Well it turned out that my connotative meaning was not very far from the actual exercise going by the deliberations of preparatory meeting.    The re-imagine reflection session for Rwanda was scheduled take place between 13- 17 May 2013 in Kigali with the first two days being preparatory sessions.

Day One

On 13 May 2013, I meet for breakfast Mr Gordon Mumbo, the Africa Regional Manager and Nick Burns, Chief of International Progammes and thanks to the photos on Skype and other online platforms with pictures, I easily recognize Burn whom I am meeting for first time. The walk to the Water For People offices from Classic hotel thereafter is less than five minutes. A convenience I did not enjoy the last time I was in Rwanda for the Rulindo “Every One Forever” meeting in November 2012, as the hotel was actually under construction.

We soon get to the office and after a short exchange of pleasantries Mr Mumbo kicks off the meeting. As this is a preparatory sessions, everybody shares about their activities. We hear from Sebastian Ngomanziza, Project Officer that the Water For People, had been receiving favourable ratings from the evaluation team from Immigration department as an agent of change due to relevant and tangible work on the ground.  A factor, he says means that Water For People would continue its operations in the districts of Rwanda. Colleagues confirm that several Civil Society organizations have been suspended after poor ratings and disapproval from their districts of operation. Ngomanziza further reminds us that Eco – san toilet, had been endorsed for all schools seeking to put up pit latrines in Rulindo district during the last Every One Forever meeting in the district. An Eco San, is an ecological toilet, which is urine-diverting system toilet where feaces are separated from urine and reused as fertilizers.

Eco - san toilet; an example of sanitation project by Water For People

We also learn from Steve Mugabo, Business Development Manager that in Ntarabana sector in Rulindo a sacco had approved loans for 49 households to build various toilets including VIP, Pour Flush and Eco- San toilets. However he reveals that some two individuals, have been denied loans by the sacco due to difficulty in paying the last time. The first disbursement is expected in mid-June.  This we are told is within the context and a recent government policy to open up saccos in every sector to encourage savings. The cost of the toilet could be 86,000 RWF but could go down to 25,000 RWF if one has their own resources, with an interest of two per cent on a reducing balance.
Perpetue Kamuyumbu, Rwanda Country Director expressed her excitement at the prospect of the upcoming RIR reflection session. “During the reflection we will see how far we have gone with Everyone,” Kamuyumbu said. She pointed out that 15 people were expected including EWSA, the districts of Rulindo, & Kicukiro and noting that the meeting  had also brought on board Chief of International Programms, the Regional manager and well as Regional Communication & Knowledge management person.
Mugabo said data was collected in the 17 sectors of Rulindo, using FLOW phones uploaded on dash boards.  Genevive Banimana said she hoped issue of co- financing can be brought to the fore. “Often the cost of hardware is clear, however the cost of software is not understood and not planned for including capacity building for staff, monitoring end evaluation.

Thank God for our colleague Eileen Lambert in Denver for uploading the information on the RIR platform online on Kicukiro on http://reporting.waterforpeople.org/kicukiro  & http://reporting.waterforpeople.org/rulindo for Rulindo we had data on the RIR platform to refer to. But what is the RIR platform?  Re-Imagine Reporting platform is an interactive window into Water For People’s progress over time, of its Every One Forever showing the organization’s successes and challenges, while giving stakeholders a comprehensive understanding of the effectiveness of Everyone Forever versus a spreadsheet with line items and figures. On the platform, you'll find information, data, metrics and stories about our work.

Perpetue Kamuyumbu, Water For People
Country Director with colleague Genevive 

Everyone Forever is Water For People’s initiative whereby the organisation works with other WASH sector players to create a world where ”Everyone”  every family, every school, and every clinic in the areas we work, have access to improved water and sanitation before we rest, or move to a new place. “Forever,” looks 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 forever. Mumbo says the preparatory meeting was spent looking at parameters necessary for the RIR session. 

Every One Forever comes at a cost says Mumbo and it is important to know what the Forever would cost.  Mumbo said there lessons from other countries who have started including various costs operations, maintenance as well as replacement in the tariffs.  Progressively these lessons will be put on the platform.

Water For People Africa Regional Manager shares a point during the preparatory meeting

“Capital required for  Every One Forever in Rulindo or Kicukiro is estimated at $16 million while the existing assets are worth $ 30 million, thus 46 million will be required to replace the system after 25 years,” says Nick Burns, Head of International Programs. Burns says the whole question of where the resources to achieve EF, Forever will be discussed.  A key question with regard to achieving “Every One” is whether we have the capacity to reach Every one, while the question Forever is whether we have institutions and processe to ensure  water and sanitation services forever.

The Water For People partners are expected on  Wednesday 15 May at a hotel Beansejour hotel in Kigali for the RIR sessions.

 

Water For People Launches Re-Imagine Reporting Platform

Water For People Launches Re-Imagine Reporting Platform

SANIPRENUERS IN KENYA TO SELL ENERGY TO THE NATIONAL GRID

Sanitation entrepreneurs generating biogas in Kenya can now sell energy to the national grid following the revision of pricing policy by the Energy Regulatory Authority (ERA).

The decision is expected to attract more business people in the biogas sector including those responding to the sanitation crises in some urban centers by using human waste to generate biogas.  According to ERA‘s new pricing policy suppliers of solar power and biogas will make increased income by supplying to the national grid.

Most rural and peri urban towns have more than their supply of human waste which can generate biogas.  Most of the human waste is discarded in pit latrines, yet its value chain can be expanded to include fuel as well as fertilizer and in the process create employment for technicians, attendants, farmers, vendors etc.  Human waste for biogas and ultimately fertilizer can be adopted by other countries.

Suppliers of solar power will earn Ksh 10.25 ($0.12) per kilowatt while those supplying biogas will earn Ksh 9.39 ($0.11) from Ksh 6.8 ($0.08). In rural and peri urban areas where sewage and piping systems are absent though a challenge presents an opportunity to create business and employment opportunities for the burgeoning unemployed populations.

Biogas tank; courtesy  Living Mandala 

Kenya’s main source of energy is Hydro-electricity at 48 per cent, which suffers interruption during drought. While thermal generates 37 per cent, geothermal generates 12.4 percent, wind 0.3 per cent, co-generation 2.4 percent. According to Ministry of Information, Kenya currently generates 1350MW of electricity and needs to generate 15000MW in the next 20 years if it is to realize the Vision 2030. Vision 2030 is Kenya’s economic blue print that addresses, economic, social and political pillars aimed at transforming Kenya to a newly industrializing middle income country providing high quality life to all its citizens in a clean and secure environment as well as 10 per cent economic growth per annum.

Kenya National Bureau of Statistics data shows that all consumer categories recorded an increased demand in electricity with domestic, commercial and industrial, and rural electrification increasing by 10.8, 7.6 and 3.5% respectively.  With a growing rise in population and development, the government of Kenya is seeking ways to generate more renewable energy.

A comprehensive study and analysis on Energy Consumption patterns in Kenya by the Kenya Institute for Public Policy Research and Analysis (KIPPRA) for ERA while stating the” the future of energy is in Green energy” showed that about 70% of the consumers use biomass while 30% use other fuels.

Human waste is already being used in different parts of Kenya to generate energy. In the sprawling Kibera’s Katwekera village already a radical paradigm shift has taken place.  The area hitherto known for its flying toilets (where individuals relieved themselves in their houses in a polythene paper and at an opportune time throw it away) in one of the narrow streets, rooftops or rivers now has a biogas center which provides sanitation services as well as provide energy to cook. 

There are several biogas centers in Nairobi’s informal area where bio-digesters generate power from human waste.  Residents pay Ksh 1 or ($ 0.01162) to use the toilets and Ksh 2 ($0.02) to shower and pay Ksh 10 ($0.12) to cook food for the day which would usually cost nearly 20 times what they are charged when they cook at the biogas centers   Some of the bio -centers earn Ksh 1500 or ($17.45) which pays salaries for those employed at the center. (See Citizen T.V past coverage) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_m1nr2v5S8o

Jomo Kenyatta University College of Agriculture and Technology (JKUCAT) installed its own biogas digesters to serve its 5,000 student population. Some private sector companies have not been left behind, at Farmer’s Choice meat processing plant at Kamiti Estate in Nairobi, biogas flames are replacing kerosene, furnace oil and firewood.

t the Meru GK Prison in Meru County, human waste from an estimated 1,200 inmates and 300 staff members is being used to generate enough biogas to power the prison’s kitchen and those of staff members.Today, thousands of rural households in Kenya plan to or have already installed biogas plants due to the availability of livestock and kitchen waste.

The Government of Kenya is continuing to promote biogas and seeks to see more than 8,000 bio digesters in different parts of Nairobi and thousands of other in the rural areas.

According to Kenya biogas feasibility study Promoting Biogas Systems in Kenya;A feasibility study in October 2007, Mr. Tim Hutchinson built the first biogas digester in Kenya in 1957. This provided all of the gas and fertiliser that his coffee farm needed. He found the effluent (or “sludge”) an excellent fertiliser and that its application to his coffee trees greatly improved productivity. In 1958, he started constructing biogas digesters commercially, marketing the effluent as the main product with biogas as a useful by-product.

Between 1960 and 1986, Hutchinson’s company (called Tunnel Engineering Ltd.) sold more than 130 small biogas units and 30 larger units all over the country. Hutchinson biogas digesters (some still working after fifty years) can be found in various parts of Kenya. Despite the great potential biogas offers hindrances to adoption of biogas include high cost of installing the systems, lack of capacity to install high volumes of biogas, systems failure, inadequate lack of installation support and poor management and maintenance, inadequate technology or lack of technology awareness, scarce or fragmented promotion .

One UN report has commented that sanitation should be made as attractive as mobile phones. World Trade Organisation says toilets should be revolutionized to become as attractive as mobile phones.  What is it about mobile phones and in Kenya Mobile banking (M-pesa) that sanitation can borrow as sanitation services  at different levels are used by the more than 40 million Kenyans?  Safaricom’s m-pesa currently has some 17 million subscribers, with an estimated reach of 38 per cent of the adult population with 45,540 agents countrywide. Some of the Mpesa lines belong to various institutions, i.e companies, schools, churches etc.   What do you think are the parallels between toilets and mobile phones that can enable greater investment by communities in  sanitation services especially value added toilets!

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.

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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!