Health Care South Sudan (HCSS) is delighted to announce the launch of our latest Hygiene is in Your Hands participatory WASH project in Kupera Payam, Lainya County. Our indigenous partner NGO South Sudan Health Association (SSUHA) launched the project with a one-day field visit to introduce newly recruited staff to the community and commence assessments for the restoration of boreholes.
Lainya County is an area of South Sudan that has continued to experience long periods of insecurity, even after the signing of the 2018 Peace Agreement. Intermittent conflict and other forms of insecurity have led to population displacements of residents both within the county and to other areas. This has meant that many of the boreholes within the county, including Kupera Payam, need rehabilitation.
HCSS and SSUHA has been running the ongoing Hygiene is in Your Hands campaign to raise funds in support of life-saving Water, Hygiene and Sanitation (WASH) participatory projects focusing on Lainya County. The recent field visit launched the collaborative project, alongside the County Medical Director. As well as undertaking the first borehole assessment, newly recruited project staff, including a WASH Assistant Officer, Hand Pump Mechanics, and Home Hygiene Promoters, were introduced to the community and stakeholders.
Thanking the team for involving him in the project’s launch, the Community Head Chief said that access to safe water is a big problem in Kupera Payam but hoped that the project would help address this. He also said he was happy to hear from the County Medical Director and SSUHA and “…ready to start and support the work anytime from now.”
Women representatives from the local community were also present at the launch and explained the importance of addressing local water issues, “…most of the time women are spending nights at the water points looking for water for their family especially during dry seasons.”
The local Primary Health Care Centre representative said: “I’m sincerely happy that this WASH project has come at the right time and also having an element of Hygiene promotion, therefore I am asking all the Health Hygiene Promoters to work together with my Facility Management Committee to ensure this community gets access to clean water and health services… the Health Hygiene Promoters should be equipped with knowledge and skills on how to health educate the community about water related diseases.”
The first assessment has identified what works and improvements are required to the first of 10 boreholes that SSUHA’s previous field study identified in the area. The project’s local recruits will now be supported by SSUHA and further funding from HCSS to ensure a participatory approach that delivers lasting change for the people of South Sudan.
You follow us for further updates on the project on Twitter @healthcaresudan and visit our website: healthcaresouthsudan.org.uk. To donate to the campaign and help us to continue providing support to the people of South Sudan visit our JustGiving page to donate now: justgiving.com/campaign/hygieneisinyourhands. All money raised will go directly to supporting the people of South Sudan.