Writing By Shindong Bala, Editing By Godwin Duru
The United Nations Children Fund UNICEF has commenced implementation of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene WASH project in two local government areas of Kaduna State with a particular focus on gender responsive programming and sustainability.
UNICEF Kaduna Field Officer for Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Mr. David Damian stated this at a two-day training for state and local government officials in preparation for the implementation of the Acceleration to Sanitation and Water for All, ASWA iii project in Kaduna.
He said the project involves building facilities that are climate resilient in communities, schools, primary health centers including boreholes in public places such as markets and motor parks with a deliberate plan to build capacity and empower the people.
“So apart from sustainability that I have mentioned and climate resilience component of WASH, the ASWA project is also looking at the gender transformative, basically for gender, we had to conduct an assessment to help us see how females’ gender are faring in those LGAs. The report came out and we got to know that the implementation of WASH in these two LGs made us gender responsive.”
“Those are for services and we also intend to build the capacity and empower people with knowledge in terms of how they can also implement some activities that will make them to become empowered citizens in this two local government.”
Mr. David Damian emphasized that the project is implemented in two states of Nigeria which are Kaduna and Adamawa states with Lere and Kagarko the benefiting local government areas in Kaduna State.
In a speech, Director General of Kaduna State Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency Engineer Mubarak Shehu Ladan expressed commitment to achieving huge success of the Project implementation.
“As we are aware, Kaduna is one of the two states that have been selected for this project, this is by no means something we should take for granted. UNICEF did not make a wrong decision by this, so let us prove ourselves right.
“You worked for it, you earned it, so you should ensure that you take this program for such competition that whenever we have such programs, Kaduna and these local government areas will do well to attract others to come and join”.
“I believe all of us here are aware of ASWA program objectives and what it entails? These are all part of the program operational plan for a successful implementation. We all know that Kaduna always comes out on top whenever we have such programs, so this should not be an exception.”
The training participants were drawn from relevant Ministries Departments and Agencies (MDAs), Civil Society Organization implementing WASH and officials of the two pioneering LGAs of Lere and Kagarko, implementing the ASWA III project.
The two days training seeks to improve participants understanding of gender concepts, including gender equality, equity and transformative approaches in WASH and equip them with skills to conduct gender analysis.
Cov/Shindong Bala
