Dig Deep (Africa) and Bomet County Government launched the Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Hub on Saturday, April 4, 2024, to enable learning in this area.
Dig Deep (Africa) program director Justus Tanui said at the launch that the center will help partners share ideas and analyze data on how to implement WASH projects in the county. He said it would be used.
“The main objective of this hub is to ensure a one-stop shop for the implementation of WASH projects in the county.
“We understand that counties have competing interests when it comes to sharing resources, but having our partners come together will certainly ease the burden on counties,” Tanui said.
At the same time, Tanui said the organization is working on water projects in the county through spring protection and rainwater harvesting in schools.
“As Dig Deep, we have done a lot of work in the water. We have done spring protection and rainwater harvesting in schools in areas such as Chepalungu and lower Bomet East areas. , we also want to work on rainwater collection at tea purchasing centers in tea growing areas,” Tanui said.
Meanwhile, Bomet County Governor Hilary Blachok expressed her gratitude to Dig Deep (Africa), saying it has made a significant contribution to Bomet residents in the WASH sector.
“Dig Deep has done a lot in the water sector in this county. The organization has done a lot of work in Sotik sub-county and is currently expanding to five other sub-counties in Bomet. I am very happy.
“This hub will be a coordinating center not only for the work we are doing with Dig Deep, but also for other partners in the WASH sector,” said Balchok.
The governor said the hub will be ICT-enabled and will enable stakeholders to hold meetings within and outside Kenya without having to travel.
“We know that travel and time is money. The very powerful ICT equipment installed at this hub will enable us to meet and train with international partners. We will conduct a lot of training to develop capacity in the field,” he added.
Dig Deep CEO Ben Skelton said the organization believes everyone should have access to clean water, safe sanitation and good hygiene. .
“In 2022, we will launch the Bomet WASH Master Plan in collaboration with the Bomet County Government to achieve universal access to clean water, safe sanitation and good hygiene for all residents of Bomet County. “We have set out a roadmap to achieve this goal,” he said.
The Master Plan sets out four phases of strategic WASH interventions from 2022 to 2050, costing US$398 million (Ksh470 billion), with the first phase from 2023 to 2027. be.
While developing the plan, Skelton said the main barriers to his organization achieving its WASH goals were a lack of coordination between county departments and NGOs, a lack of data, and a lack of access to WASH partners across the county. He said he realized there was a need for further training.
“Governors are launching a WASH hub that will be a one-stop shop to improve coordination among partners, share data, and provide critical training to women working hard to achieve quality water and sanitation.” I am very excited today.”
“This hub is about bringing everyone in the WASH sector together to accelerate our goal of delivering vital services to everyone in the county,” he added.
Dig Deep WASH System leader Joe Hook said the center will bring more resources to the county and build partner and county capacity.
“This hub will enable people to speak across Kenya and internationally. This means we can bring in people with expertise to train experts, technical staff and decision makers. .
“It also allows us to bring in funding and resources and build capacity across partners, county government officials, and departments. It’s about building relationships, common purpose, and a shared mission. It’s about doing these things together,” Hook said.
Dig Deep (Africa) Project Director Nikki Roneau said 190 villages in Bomet County have been declared open defecation free (ODF) under the organization's Community-Led Comprehensive Sanitation (CLTS) project. .
“We are working with the district government to declare 80 other villages as ODF. We are also conducting post-ODF interventions to ensure that the villages do not reoccur. We do this by promoting hygiene options that are easily available to society,” Roneau said.
The organization also restores 12 springs in the county to ensure a constant flow of clean water to surrounding communities.
“Our spring water protection program secures water sources to ensure they are not contaminated, installs water storage tanks, and fences off areas to ensure environmental protection.
“The purpose of conservation is to make water clean for communities and available to everyone, including children, the elderly and people with disabilities. It also tests to ensure it is fit for drinking. ” said Joanne Chemtai, Dig Deep (Africa) program manager.
The organization has been implementing WASH in schools, providing collapsible toilets in schools, building pit latrines for both boys and girls, and providing hygiene education.
“The girls' restroom has a toilet and a sanitary napkin disposal area. The restroom is used by female students to wash themselves during their menstrual periods. This program has helped eliminate the stigma surrounding periods. The enrollment rate of girls who were absent has increased,” Chemtai added.
