To improve the health and quality of life among rural poor communities in 1 Village in Liquica District in Timor-Leste through integrated water, sanitation and hygiene education activities, and to advocate for increased quality and quantity output of the whole rural Water and Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) sector.
Footprints is delighted to continue support for WaterAid's ongoing
work in the Liquica Region. You can read reports of past projects that
Footprints has funded here.
The project aims and objectives:
- To improve access to improved water in 1 village serving approximately 130 men, women and children.
- To improve access to effective sanitation and hygiene behaviours
- To improve the capacity of communities and local organisations to mobilise skills in order to manage and maintain the facilities and associated improved hygiene behaviours
- To influence the rural WASH sector in Timor–Leste in order to increase the overall sector quality and quantity output
Project Activities include:
- Conduct base line studies in village community and technical feasibility of potential water sources and systems
- Discuss options with communities and agree on system and roles and responsibilities
- Construct or repair existing water facilities and provide Training in operation and maintenance of water system
- Support communities in the construction of latrines
- Provide hygiene education and raise awareness of the importance of hand washing at critical times such as after defecation, and before handling food. Trial improved methods of establishing and maintaining hand washing at critical times
- Formation and knowledge and skills training of the village water and sanitation committees (GMF’s) whose primary role is to promote the sustainability of the WASH facilities and practices in their respective communities.
- WaterAid staff will Provide support for at least 2 years to each GMF committee, actively participate in WASH sector meetings and promote the adoption of best practice WASH methodologies by all sectors and seek funding from government and external donors, support the Timor-Leste government to adopt best practice.
Expected Impact:
A reduction in water related diseases especially diarrhoea due to
- Improved quality and quantity water supplies
- a reduction of infected faecal material being present in the environment with improved use of latrines
- better handwashing and sanitation behaviours
Women and girls’ time spent collecting water or waiting at water source is reduced. Community, particularly women and girls able to spend greater amount of time attending to other social and economic activities. Children are able to stay in school and focus on education.
The community and WaterAid partners (local NGOs and local government bodies) will be equipped with skills to manage the new facilities and maintain improved hygiene behaviours in 1 Village.
The project will help build the technical and managerial capacity of local partner NGOs and local government bodies so that they will continue to implement further successful integrated water supply, sanitation and hygiene education projects in the future.
Community Engagement:
The initial activity is the joint selection of prospective beneficiary communities with District government authorities (including district government administration, infrastructure and health authorities). Once the communities are selected, initial contact is made and their level of interest and commitment to the proposed improvements is assessed. This provides the basis and justification for the project intervention.
The communities are then mobilised and organised in preparation for joint work in the provision of the water points. Water and Sanitation committees (referred to Timor-Leste as GMFs) are formed and members trained. Project planning follows Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) procedures and results in Community Action Plans and Facility Management Plans.
As part of the community engagement process, WaterAid will implement community led total sanitation process (CLTS), whereby communities are enabled to become aware of the dangers of open defecation and choose to build and use latrines and practice improved hygiene behaviours such as hand washing. WaterAid will liaise with local ministry of Health staff in order to utilise and support their skills development and also to enhance government linkages with the project.
Project Rationale
WaterAid Australia selected Timor – Leste to establish its first country program, as the need there is the highest in our region. Poverty levels in Timor - Leste are stark with more than two in five people live on less than 55 cents per day.
The latest water and sanitation figures from WHO/Unicef Joint Monitoring Program show that only 58% of people have access to safe water and only 36% have access to sanitation. Most of the water systems built are not functioning due to poor maintenance and lack of community ownership. This will bring down the coverage substantially less. In rural areas it is estimated that only 25% of people have access to improved water supplies and 16% to basic sanitation.
The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) were set by the world’s leaders at the UN Millennium summit in 2000 and aim to halve the number of people living in poverty. The targets are inter–connected by nature but the water and sanitation targets would catalyse the attainment of all eight MDGs. Access to safe water and sanitation are the keys to unlocking economic growth and productivity and improve health and access to education.