MONROVIA – The Sanitation Water for All (SWA) in collaboration with the Liberian WASH sector completed a two-day Country-Level Self-Assessment with a pledge to ensure an inclusive participatory and timely process of the country monitoring indicators on WASH.
SWA is a global partnership committed to achieving universal access to clean drinking water and adequate sanitation. Over the years, the it has been working with major stakeholders in Liberia including the Government, CSOs and the private sector to improve the WASH sector by building political will for WASH, use of multi-stakeholder approaches and strengthening systems and increasing financial investments.
At the end of the event, Representative Byron Zahnwea (Rivercess County), a member of the WASH Legislative Caucus called for the proper planning of the sector’s activities to yield the needed results.
“We need to start thinking out of the box. We need to identify our opportunity as an individual and organization. There must be an indicator to everything that we do. And we want to thank the WASH Commission for the standard they have set,” Rep. Zahnwea said.
Also speaking at the opening session, the Chief Executive Officer of the National WASH Commission, Bobby Whitefield said the Liberian Government has enjoyed the partnership with SWA in all of its support to the sector.
Mr. Whitefield said the government was committed to build on the partnership, sustain the gains and improve the sector, as evidence of President George Weah;s numerous support and major decision taken in recent time, among them to relocation of the Red-Light Market to and the installation of a pipeline from Fish Market to Central Monrovia.
He also mentioned that part of the government’s sustained partnership with SWA led to the nomination of Timothey Kpah as SWA Country Monitoring Champion, a nominee he said is doing great work with in the sector.
Earlier in the overview of the event held at the National WASH Commission headquarters in Monrovia, SWA’s Country Monitoring Champion, Timothy Kpeh said the workshop focused on two major objectives to ensure an inclusive participatory and timely process of the country monitoring indicators on WASH.
“Essentially, the country monitoring level focuses on the monitor progress toward SWA’s objectives in each country, to provide an opportunity for SWA partners in each country, to have a constructive dialogue about the situation in the country with regards to the three SWA’s objectives that include building political will for WASH, the use of multi-stakeholder approaches and strengthening systems and increasing financial investments,” Mr. Kpeh said.
During the workshop, Mr. Kpeh, and Co-facilitator, Eugene Caine of WASH Commission led the participants in reviewing the six indicators. The discussion centered around the political will on WASH, MS platforms, link with other sectors, progress on commitments, finance and targeting inequalities.