Temesgen Terefe, Ari Zone Administration Office Head made an opening speech during the launch event
The new project focuses on supporting the woreda’s resource mobilisation and capacity building efforts to ensure effective and sustainable WASH service delivery. The launch event promoted stakeholder alignment and engagement, with officials highlighting the importance of collaboration, resource allocation, and data-driven decision making to achieve the project’s goals.
Published on: 21/08/2024
IRC WASH Ethiopia officially launched the Collective Action for WASH Systems Strengthening of South Ari Woreda project in the presence of key stakeholders from the Ari Zone and South Ari Woreda in Jinka town on 15 August 2024. The project is designed to accelerate South Ari woreda’s progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), focusing on universal access to safe and affordable drinking water and sanitation. The project will be implemented from 1 July 2024 to 30 March 30 2026, and aims to support the implementation of the South Ari Woreda costed WASH master plan.
The project will be supporting the woreda’s resource mobilisation efforts by collaborating with woreda government partners and other WASH actors to secure the necessary resources for effective implementation of the WASH master plan. It also focuses on strengthening the capacity of WASH institutions, including service authorities and service providers within the woreda, to ensure sustainable management and delivery of WASH services. Furthermore, the project aims to strengthen local WASH systems by improving monitoring, professionalisation of services, maintenance, water safety planning, and fostering a culture of learning and sharing to improve the quality of WASH services.
The objective of the project launch event was to ensure alignment for the successful implementation of the woreda WASH SDG master plan. and strong stakeholder engagement. During the launch workshop, IRC WASH presented the key activities and goals of the project. The workshop also facilitated a collaborative discussion, allowing participants to provide valuable feedback to enhance the project’s outcomes.
The workshop facilitated insightful contributions from various officials, emphasising the collaborative nature of the project:
Dagim Mekonnin, Head of Ari Zone Education Department, praised IRC’s support on capacity building through the online WASH Systems Academy platform in the previous project phase. He underscored the importance of the online asset management systems to support data-driven decisions, reaffirming the education sector's commitment to support the new project's goals.
Seid Dawuad from the Woreda Finance Office expressed strong support for the costed master plan and the water safety plan implementation, highlighting the potential to scale up successful practices like monitoring and learning alliances across other woredas of the zone.
The Zone Water, Mine, and Energy Department Head, Tinishu Tekle focused on the need for resources, such as computers, to enhance the monitoring system and stressed the goal of reducing non-functioning water schemes to zero. He also urged the woreda administrators to prioritise budget allocation for the water sector in line with zone directives.
Ajele Getu from the South Ari Woreda Water, Mine, and Energy Office discussed the challenges posed by resource constraints in implementing the WASH master plan, emphasising the importance of addressing the root causes of non-functional water schemes and recommended the development of a zone WASH profile.
The workshop was concluded with participants reaffirming their dedication to working together to achieve the project’s objectives and ensure lasting impact on WASH services in the woreda.
