LIBERIA: WASH grass root advocacy makes impact
… Beneficiaries Demand Local Authority for Better WASH services – By: WASH R&E (Media) Network – As a medium of creating awareness on the issues of water, sanitation and hygiene, WaterAid Liberia through its local partner, Foundation for the Empowerment of Rural Dwellers (FERD) launched a grass root advocacy on WASH in two southeastern counties, Grand Kru and River Gee.
A beneficiary of FERD’s WASH Grass Root Advocacy in Dayorken, River Gee commending WaterAid
The purpose of the WASH Grass Root Advocacy is to inform beneficiaries about their rights when it comes to WASH.
Beneficiaries of FERD Grass Root Advocacy in Grand Kru, in a meeting with WaterAid Liberia
The intent of the advocacy is to also make beneficiaries hold their local authority and national leadership accountable when it comes to the provision of improved water and sanitation services to their communities and districts at large.
Since the launch of this Initiative, the campaign has enlightened beneficiaries on the issues of water, sanitation and hygiene in their respective communities.
In this article, WASH Reporters & Editors Network of Liberia has been looking at the impact of WaterAid Liberia/Foundation for the Empowerment of Rural Dwellers (FERD) Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Grass Root Advocacy for Behavior Change.
This followed a recent joint Monitoring in the Southeastern of Liberia.
The advocacy was carried out in Tarwroken and Dayoken in Buah District, also in Nyanken and Kartoken in Webbo District in River Gee County.
In these two counties, beneficiaries disclosed that advocacy has enlightened them on their rights to safe drinking water and better sanitation services.
Chief Sloh Nagbe of Tarwroken, Buah District, Grand Kru County
Through the advocacy, they are informed about their rights to WASH in line with the United Nations Protocols. Beneficiaries in these two counties petitioned local authorities and their Lawmakers to include WASH in the Development Plans of the two counties.
Beneficiaries revealed that they now know the importance of safe drinking water, keeping their environment clean and personal hygiene.
They informed the WASH Media that through Grass Root WASH Advocacy, most of them have built their own latrines with local materials.
They said though wells were constructed for them, but during the dry season the issue of safe drinking water remains a challenge because the water table usually drops.
When this happens according to them, most of the time people result to going back to the creeks to fetch water for drinking, thereby resulting to waterborne diseases.
One of the villages benefiting From the Grass Root Advocacy in the Southeast
Meanwhile, beneficiaries of the WASH Grass Root Advocacy are appealing to WaterAid Liberia, the government and other partners to provide safe drinking water for them.
They want a well constructed that will always contain water both during the dry and rainy seasons.
The beneficiaries however lavished praises on WaterAid Liberia through its local partner, the Foundation for the Empowerment of Rural Dwellers (FERD) for creating awareness aimed at educating them about their rights to WASH.
