The
provision of water and sanitation is the beginning of poverty
reduction among poor communities. This was the message sent
by Dr. Mukesh Kapila, the International Federation’s Special
Representative for HIV and AIDS during the signing of a Contribution
Agreement between the International Federation and the European
Commission in Lusaka, Zambia.
Under the Agreement, which is under the 1st Call for Proposals
for Africa, Caribbean, and Pacific - European Union (ACP-EU)
Water Facility, the European Commission will provide €1.84
million from the 9th European Development Fund (EDF) to support
water and sanitation interventions in Zambia implemented by
the Zambia Red Cross with support from the International Federation
of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, the British and Swedish
Red Cross societies.
The project is co-financed with the Federation who will contribute
€610,000, bringing the total project cost to €2.45
million (US$3.2 million).
Zambia lies in Sub-Saharan Africa which represents about 11
percent of the world population, but almost a third of all people
without access to safe drinking water live here.
The region has the lowest water and sanitation coverage in the
world, with Zambia only having a national coverage of 50% for
both water and sanitation. The situation is worse in rural areas,
especially in the southern region where the project will be
implemented.
“All these low water and sanitation statistics come against
a backdrop of high HIV and AIDS prevalence, and a rise in the
number of orphans and vulnerable children who need to walk long
distances to fetch water and sometimes miss out on school,”
said Dr Mukesh Kapila who had just arrived from a field visit
to familiarize himself with Zambia Red Cross projects in Kapiri
Mposhi, 200km north of Lusaka.
“I have just come from a community where I met a 16 year
old girl called Memory. She is an orphan and staying alone.
She fetches water some five kilometers away from the place she
stays. Instead of concentrating on her education, she has to
walk the long distance to fetch water for household use. Memory’s
situation represents the sad reality that thousands of children
in these communities face,” said Dr. Kapila.
This coupled with the burden of HIV and AIDS, poverty and the
need for water and sanitation among Zambian communities, indeed
justifies this joint initiative from the European Commission
and the International Federation.
The overall objective of the ACP-EU Water Facility is to contribute
to poverty reduction and sustainable development through the
achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) on water
and sanitation.
Mr. Rafael Aguirre Unceta, the European Commission Head of Operations
in Zambia also insisted on the need to urgently address water
and sanitation in Zambia.
“The objective of the project, over a period of three
years, is to develop sound and sustainable environmental services
comprising safe water supply, functional latrines and sanitation,
and hygiene promotion for the vulnerable population in Sinazongwe
and Choma Districts in the Southern Province of Zambia,”
he said.
The project will benefit 90 000 people, including people living
with HIV, orphans and other vulnerable members of the community
especially those under the Red Cross home-based care programme.
Just a few days before the signing of the agreement, the Zambia
Red Cross launched a five year HIV and AIDS appeal for CHF50
million.
One of the objectives of this appeal is to encourage home-based
care clients, orphans and vulnerable children and HIV affected
households to adopt hygienic and safe sanitation practices.
This will be done through various strategies which include sensitizing
and educating communities on good hygienic practices in and
around installed water points, training volunteers on good hygiene
and safe sanitation practices at homes, and providing hygiene
materials to clients and their families.
This home-based care programme in Zambia is linked to food security
and nutrition activities such as nutrition gardening, seed distribution,
and provision of high-energy food parcels, water and sanitation
initiatives.
“It is through such projects that some of these objectives
will be reached and that way, it will not only provide water
and sanitation but a source of livelihood thereby contributing
towards poverty reduction and sustainable development among
the poor communities,” concludes Dr. Kapila.
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| Children
helping by fetching water. (p15148)
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Memory
a 16 year old girl. She is an orphan and staying alone.
She fetches water some five kilometers away from the place
she stays. Instead of concentrating on her education,
she has to walk the long distance to fetch water for household
use. Memory’s situation represents the sad reality
that thousands of children in these communities face.
(p15153)
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Mr.
Rafael Aguirre Unceta, the European Commission head of
operations in Zambia (on the right) with Dr. Mukesh Kapila,
the International Federation’s Special Representative
for HIV and AIDS. (p15150)
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Communities
in Choma district still fetch water from swallow well.
(p15154)
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