By Elwood Dennis
Monrovia: Compassion for Humanity (C4H) Liberia welcomes the Joseph Boakai administration’s inclusion of Sanitation in his “ARREST” mantra to address what she calls the WASH Constraints across the country.
The Non-Governmental Organization acknowledges the challenges within the health and sanitation sectors and has expressed willingness to sit with all stakeholders within the sectors to enable the government to achieve her overall goal.
The C4H Liberia Advocacy and Communication Manager, Weemon Jallahcole, who is also the Countywide Sanitation Activity (CWSA) Project Lead, said during a press conference recently that her organization anticipates that WASH will be paramount on the government’s agenda as promised during his recent Presidential campaign.
Ms. Jallahcole said the government’s positive action towards the WASH sector will address the challenges which according to her can largely be attributed to “fragmented responsibilities, the lack of a standalone policy on sanitation, and weak regulation and enforcement”. These challenges, according to C4H CWSA Project Leader, contribute to the country’s poor sanitation outcomes with lack of access to basic sanitation.
C4H Liberia is implementing a Population Services International (PSI) Countywide Sanitation Activity (CWSA) Project funded by USAID. The Project, among other things, is aimed at identifying more champions of advocacy for the establishment of a WASH standing committee at the national legislature with priority of inclusive women, youth, and persons in need of special attention as well as other vulnerable persons.
She believes that supporting WASH oversight and budgetary allocations at the national legislature to adequately meet the needs of the country, promoting improved WASH/sanitation governance in the country for reducing the burden of health and economic challenges on the citizens.
She says strengthening the national WASH policy communication to promote sector-wide behavior change and establishing countywide WASH campaign for improved national and local water management, sanitation and hygiene behavior change and practices in every part of the country is a worth venture.
