Memorandum submitted by Safe Water for
Africa Community Initiative (SWACI)
IMPROVING HEALTH AND EDUCATION THROUGH WATER
AND SANITATION INTERVENTION
INTRODUCTION
MAN AND
HIS ENVIRONMENT
1. The state of well being of any individual
or a group of people is greatly influenced by the quality of water
being used in the environment they live. The quality of water
therefore depends on the sanitation status, which is determined
by the human activities predominant in the area and how they are
coordinated.
2. It is a fact that a high percentage of
the body fluid is made up of water and the body's metabolic process
can not take place efficiently without enough water intake. The
essence of water to life and existence can not be underestimated.
QUALITIES OF
WATER
3. Apart from the scientific fact that pure
water must be colourless, odourless, and tasteless, other precautionary
measures must be put in place to enjoy the security of safe drinking
water, which is carrying out necessary sanitation work in the
environment.
LINK BETWEEN
HEALTH AND
EDUCATION
4. Everybody has the right to be educated,
but the threat of unhealthiness can be a major factor to battle
with in this regard. For instance, a person who is not physically
fit or not living in good health can not be in the best position
to undergo educational training.
Responsible factor: Poor environmental
sanitation, which is influencing the quality of the water in that
area will adversely affect the health of the people.
5. There is no doubt that a good healthy living
is as a result of good water use; and good water use is also a
result of good environmental sanitation.
6. From another perspective, when the environment
is not conducive enough for learning due to filthy and unhygienic
situations, this will psychologically affect education.
WATER AND
SANITATION
7. The process of making sure that the water
ready to be consumed is hygenic for drinking and at the same time
ensuring that the environment is not polluted enough to influence
the source of water is sanitation.
8. Sanitation culture must be put into regular
practice so as to guide against water related diseases.
OUR IDENTITY
9. Safe Water Africa Community Initiatives
(SWACI) is a non-governmental organization (NGO) pioneered by
the Governor, World Water Council (WWC) and has seen the weakness
in the various sectors and authorities concerned.
10. SWACI, whose sole objective is to make
sure that safe drinking water is made available to the rural and
the underserved communities has launched out projects such as
the Environmental, Water Sanitation and Hygiene (E-WASH) Club
in secondary schools as a means of getting into the future leaders
of tomorrow, change their orientation through educative scheme
of work they undergo in their various schools; this club use the
students as channels of information to their separate families
and communities.
11. The Project Life and Dignity is another
advanced initiative that requires the participation of international
partners/collaborators that will assist financially to achieve
its mission on environmental changes.
12. During the inauguration of the Project
Life and Dignity, it was clearly highlighted that Water
is Life and Sanitation is Dignity.
13. SWACI is also coordinating the MDG Watch
Africa, which is used as a medium for monitoring the efforts of
Africa towards achieving the United Nation's Millennium Development
Goals (MDGs).
CONDITIONS OF
WATER AND
SANITATION IN
DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
Case Study I
14. It is in Africa or the developing countries
that you will find schools located on or close to refuse dumping
sites, oozing with offensive odours, classrooms with dilapidated
structures and without display charts on the walls which aids
assimilation.
Case Study II
15. Nigeria is one of the poorest countries
in the world with 72% of its population of about 120 million classified
as poor and more than 35% living below the US $1 per day poverty
level, particularly widespread in rural areas.
16. More than 50% of the populations have
no access to portable water.
17. In Nigeria, over 1000 urban and semi-urban
water supply schemes existed by 1990 which were all in poor condition
and deteriorating rapidly.
18. It is reported that the various state
water agencies responsible for water supply services were at the
low level of development characterized by poor funding and organization
(FMWRRD 1999).
NEED FOR
IMPROVEMENT
19. The dividends of improved health and
education practices in the developed countries is just too overwhelming;
the more reason why in the bid to meeting the Millennium Development
Goals (MDGs) in the developing countries such as Africa, these
key issues, health and education, must undergo a transformation
process through water and sanitation intervention.
20. Being well informed that water is a
crosscutting issue in meeting the set targets of the UN MDGs by
2015.
OUR INVOLVEMENT
21. SWACI is the initiator of MDG Watch
Africa, a television programme, with an agenda to bring on air
how Africa is applying its effort towards meeting the United Nations
MDGs.
OPERATIONS
22. Under the MDG Watch Africa programme,
the following will be carried out:
— A General survey clearly mapping
out the targeted areas (underserved, rural or prone communities).
— Massive campaigns are launched for
public awareness and capacity building.
— Interviews will be organized with
public office holders, stakeholders and the civil society on the
above subject matter.
— Coordination of how funds will be
used in executing water projects aimed at providing portable and
safe drinking water and at the same time offering backup services
for sustainability.
PREREQUISITE FOR
IMPROVEMENT
23. The following must be implemented to
achieve improvement.
— A determined and competent body such
as DFID, in conjunction with NGOs, stakeholders and the civil
society at large must be ready to work towards this objective
by carrying out awareness campaigns.
— Enlightenment strategies must be
diverse—using different means of information dissemination.
— A dedicated workforce must be put
in place.
— Enough funds must be made available
to finance the running operation cost, which will entail consistent
monitoring and backup services.
— Feedback to DFID must be routine
as the project kicks off.
— The Government must be ready to support
the NGOs by enacting laws against the indiscriminate dumping of
refuse in empty spaces, bushes, rivers or streams, abandoned sites
or buildings, roadside, etc to mention but a few.
— Waste management practices like the
following should be introduced.
— Source Reduction: involves
altering the design, manufacture or use of products and materials
to reduce amount and toxicity of what gets thrown away.
— Recycling: diverts items such
as paper, glasses, plastic and metals from the waste stream. These
materials are sorted, collected and processed into reusable products
of economic value.
— Composting: decomposes organic
waste, such as food scraps and yard trimmings with microorganisms
(mainly bacteria & fungi), producing a humus-like substance.
— Incinerator and Landfill:
these practices are meant for those materials that require disposal.
HOW WATER
AND SANITATION
IS IMPROVING
HEALTH AND
EDUCATION
24. When all and sundry become compliant
through the governments strict disciplinary measures, assistance
from DFID by the numerous public awareness campaigns and lectures
organized, the quality of water and sanitation in the environment
will definitely change for the better.
25. This will consequently improve the people's
standard of living.
CONCLUSIONS AND
RECOMMENDATIONS
26. The Department For International Development
(DFID) must be able to support SWACI financially on the MDG Watch
Africa in order to achieve maximum success in Improving Health
and Education through Water and Sanitation Intervention.
27. DFID must equip SWACI or interested
NGOs with library materials so that the E-WASH clubs in secondary
schools will really have an educative impact on the children.
28. A full documentary of all activities
must be covered live, ranging from the interviews, project execution
details and sent to DFID as reports.
October 2006
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